Mysteries of the Veil
by Marauderette24
Summary: Harry is having a terrible summer until Remus comes and shares some surprising news. Is there a way for people to come out of the veil? With new friends, family and enemies, Harry completes his sixth year. Now COMPLETE and IN REVISION! The sequel is posted! Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Harry Potter.
1. Chapter 1- Rewritten

**July 25th- 4 Privet Drive**

Harry Potter was having the worst summer of his life. He had just lost his godfather and it was his fault. If he had just stayed at school and let the Order deal with it... Or he could have tried harder at occlumency.

Harry sighed. He had been laying in his bed since he got back from Hogwarts. He rarely responded to letters from his friends and when he did, the responses were short and clipped. They pushed him to say more at the start of the summer but as the days went on, they backed off.

Harry got up and looked out the window. He grumbled to himself when he saw that Dumbledore had once again assigned Order members to guard Privet Drive.

Luckily it was just two of them this time and not ten like when he first came back. He identified them as Tonks (The purple hair and heart-shaped face gave it away) and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Tonks gave him a sad wave and Harry tried to smile back but, it came out as more of a grimace. With a sigh, Harry walked back to his bed. His last thought before he fell asleep was Sirius' shocked face as he fell through the veil.

Sirius slowly opened his eyes expecting to see the battle but instead saw a large wide grass field. His eyes snapped open and he scrambled into a sitting position.

He stood up and quietly asked, "Where am I?"

Then the battle came back to him. He remembered going to the department of mysteries, fighting death eaters and finally being pushed into the veil by his very own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.

The very last thing he remembered was Harry running toward him with tears in his eyes and his mouth open in a scream.

"Harry," Sirius murmured. He turned in circles looking for a glimpse of anything familiar; Or alive for that matter. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

When no one responded, Sirius thought about his options. He could start walking and see where he went or he could wait around here and see if someone happened to walk by.

And so with one final glance around, Sirius took off.

Sirius had been walking for hours. Of course, he didn't actually know how long he had been walking because there was no way to tell time. No sun, no clocks, actually there was nothing except for grass as far as the eye can see.

Sirius was getting extraordinarily angry now.

He had left his godson and now he couldn't even find anyone to tell him where he was.

Just as Sirius was about to voice his thoughts, he saw a small house in the distance.

"YES!" Sirius screamed.

He ran towards the house using all the energy that he had left and finally, after what seemed like forever, Sirius was in front of the house. Well, more of a mansion. The house was red with white trimming and it was big enough to leave Sirius stunned. He cautiously knocked on the door and was thrilled when he heard the pounding of footsteps running down the stairs. As they got closer he could hear a woman's voice muttering something about how no one ever comes around these days. When she opened the door Sirius was surprised, to say the least. In fact, he was so surprised that he collapsed right on the welcome mat.

The woman that answered the door was someone he knew very well. She had beautiful, waist length red hair that seemed to glow in the sunlight and perfect pink lips that were just the right shade. Although, those were not the things he remembered most.

What Sirius remembered the most were her eyes. The woman's eyes were an emerald green that no one could ever forget.

They were the eyes of Lily Evans.

* * *

When Sirius woke up he found that he was no longer on the doorstep, but in a rather comfy bed. He slowly sat up and took in his surroundings.

He was in a large bedroom that had two doors which Sirius assumed lead to a closet and a bathroom. There was a chest at the foot of his bed and a dresser in front of that. The walls were red with white trim just like the outside of the house. He looked up and realized that he was in a canopy bed.

As he was examining the room Lily came in with a bowl of soup.

"Hello Sirius," She said softly setting the bowl of soup on the bedside table.

"Hey," He replied propping himself up with the pillows.

After a moment of silence, Lily spoke up again.

"You died," She said softly, looking at his face to gauge his reaction.

"Yeah, I figured," Sirius joked, playing with one of a loose thread on the comforter. "It was Bella you know. She stunned me and sent me right through the veil."

"I'm sorry."

"It was my fault," He said to the redhead, looking up from where his fingers were nimbly spinning the thread. "I rushed in without thinking and I underestimated her."

"She's a bitch," Lily said, smiling at the man whom she considered a brother.

"Have I finally corrupted you, Lily Flower?"

"Shut up you mutt!" Lily said, playfully swatting at his shoulder.

Sirius turned towards her to defend himself but was surprised to see tears in Lily's eyes.

"Hey, Lily. What's wrong?"

"I'm fine, Sirius. It's just so, so good to see you," She whispered.

Sirius wrapped his arms around her and gently rubbed circles into her back, just as he had done years before whenever James wasn't around to comfort her.

"I knew you would miss me," Sirius mumbled into her hair.

"Of course I missed you, Sirius. You're a part of our family. Whether you like it or not."

Lily stayed with Sirius while he ate the soup and they talked about various things that had been going on since they had last seen each other. Lily told him about her adventures in the afterlife while Sirius reluctantly told her about his time n Azkaban.

"That's unjust!" Lily exclaimed when he explained to her what had happened.

"Yeah. You're telling me," Sirius muttered. "But I got to spend two years with Harry before I fell into the stupid curtain so I think it was worth it. By the way, does this place have time? Or is it just infinite... thingys?"

"It's 4:30, Sirius," Lily said with a giggle. "Oh! And that means James should be home in half an hour,"

"Well, we have to greet him now don't we?" Sirius said, his eyes suddenly sparkling brighter than the stars that he was named after.

"Sirius," Lily said in a warning tone.

"Come on Lily! You can help me," Sirius said getting out of the bed.

"Just this once Sirius. And I'm only letting you do this because you died."

"Do you realize how terrible that sounds?" Sirius asked.

"Shut it mutt."

* * *

After the pair dug out James' pranking supplies, they carefully set up the elaborate trick. Sirius served as the creative energy while Lily made sure everything would work exactly the way he wanted to. Once the prank was set up, Sirius retreated to a hiding spot where he would stay until James got home.

Seconds later, the faint rustle of keys could be heard and the creak o a door soon followed.

"Lily? I'm home!" James called.

"Hey babe," Lily replied walking over and giving him a quick peck on the lips. "How was everyone?"

"Pretty good. Prewitt's are still arguing over who's barbeque was better but you know how that goes."

"Of course. I made dinner if you're hungry?"

"When am I not hungry?" James laughed making his way towards the dinner table as Lily disappeared back into the kitchen.

He made his way over to a chair and sat down, gently scooting his chair in. As soon as he did that, a trip wire went off sending a cascade of confetti and an unknown sticky substance onto him. While James was momentarily blinded, Sirius popped out of his hiding place and struck a pose on the table.

James sputtered and wiped at his eyes while showing off his impressive vocabulary of swear words. Then, as he cleared his eyes, he looked up to the figure standing on the table.

"Sirius" murmured James then, "Sirius!"

James stood up and looked at his brother in all but blood. He probably looked ridiculous, staring like a moron while he was covered in sparkles and colored paper but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"Hey James," Sirius said, stepping down from the table and nervously smiling at his friend.

James stepped forward and embraced Sirius tightly.

"I missed you, Pads," He said gruffly.

"I missed you too, Prongs."

Lily walked in holding a pan of chicken and smiling at the two.

"Awwww the two weirdos are together again."

"Love you too, Lily!" James said moving towards her to help with the food when suddenly a blinding light struck the room.

James and Sirius went to stand by Lily and shielded their eyes. As sudden as the light had come it was gone, but in its wake, it left a beautiful young lady.

The young lady had glossy black hair that fell all the way to her waist and sparkling violet eyes that shimmered in the light. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent and her lips were a delicate pink.

All three witches and wizards automatically pulled out their wands.

Before any of them could cast spells, the woman spoke softly, "I mean no harm. In fact, I have come to offer a gift."

"We can't trust you until we know who you are," said James

"Ah, how rude of me. My name is Raven but most people know me as Fate. As I said, I mean no harm and I am unarmed."

Lily, James, and Sirius glanced at each other with uncertainty. They couldn't see any weapons on her but, they also knew nothing about her. After some consideration, they decided that it couldn't hurt to hear her out. After sharing a glance at each other Lily spoke.

"We have decided that we can trust you for now. We do have a question, though. Why are you here?"

"I have come to offer you a gift."

"And what would that gift be?" asked Sirius

"It concerns the young Harry Potter."

"Our son?" James asked.

"No the other Harry Potter from America," Fate said, rolling her eyes at the man. "Of course I'm talking about your son! I've made a mistake. I took too many people from him."

"Well, we're already dead in case you haven't noticed."

Fate had the decency to look ashamed. Her violet eyes never left the ground as she spoke. "I have a proposition for you. I made a mistake many years ago that, excuse my language, had a lot of shitty consequences. I'm here to offer you something that will not only correct my error, but it could change the course of the war."

She lifted her head and looked at each of the others in the eyes.

"I want to bring you back to life."

"That's impossible," Lily breathed. "No spell can reawaken the dead."

"I'm Fate," the woman said, sending a dazzling smile towards Lily. "I can do whatever I please."

"This is messing with the laws of life and death," James said. "Are you sure that you can do this?"

"It's just a simple rewrite of your life story. Easy peasy."

"No, it's not or else you would do it for everyone."

"Fine, I've never done it before but, I'm willing to try."

The wizards and witch looked at each other and nodded their heads.

James slowly said, "We'll return for Harry."

Fate smiled softly and said, "I hope I won't see you for quite some time. Oh! one last thing be careful. I can only let you return to the mortal world once. If you die again you're stuck here."

With that, Fate snapped her fingers and a blinding light filled the room. Within seconds it disappeared, taking the occupants of the room along with it.

 **A/N as of 3-1-18 - Hi guys! Wow, I first published this story over two years ago can you believe it? I certainly can't! First thing I want to address is that I'm not going to be majorly changing the story in any way. So if this is your second time reading this, welcome back! You won't need to worry about any of your favorite plotlines being taken away. I am just revising everything to fit my current style and skill level of writing.**

 **If this is your first time reading my story, then I hope you'll stick around! The sequel to this will be coming out sometime during the summer months so you have that to get excited about! In the meantime, you can enjoy this.**

 **I also created a Wattpad account for my originals. It would mean the absolute world if you would give my story a read and follow me on there as well! Username is ThatMatchie. I hope you enjoy!**

 **Thank you guys again for sticking around and I hope you enjoy these revisions.**

 **Love you all,**

 **-Marauderette24**

* * *

 **A/N as of 7/8/18- Hola! So I'm doing a second round of rewrites now (I'm insane I know) so enjoy this chapter! I'm basically condensing everything and just going back to fix older chapters. Alright, that's it! Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you later!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	2. Chapter 2-The Order of the Phoenix

In Number 12 Grimmauld Place-

Nymphadora Tonks walked through the door to the kitchen in Grimmauld Place to help Remus with dinner.

"Wotcher Remus," she said

"Hello Nymphadora," Remus said

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks screeched. Her hair flashing red. "It's Tonks... or Dora for you."

Remus frowned. "Dora I have told you I'm too old and dangerous for you."

"I don't care Remus! I want you! Please give me a chance!" Tonks cried.

"I will give you a chance when Lily and James ask me too," Remus replied. He purposely didn't mention Sirius because he wasn't sure how hard Tonks had taken her cousin's death.

"Remus! You know that you will never see them again!" Tonks shouted. "You know that they can't tell you to try but, I know that they would want you to try," Tonks added softly.

As Remus was about to reply when they heard apparition pops outside the house. With a quick glance at each other, they grabbed their wands and rushed to the front. What they saw was something no one could have prepared them for. Outside the window was "Lily, James and Sirius" Tonks and Remus both suspected that they were imposters of course. Nothing could bring back the dead.

As the imposters approached the house, Remus and Tonks hid behind couches or walls so they weren't seen by the imposters.

The front door opened.

"James what if there are Order members here? They won't believe it's us!" said Lily

All of a sudden a stunning spell hit Sirius. Remus stepped out of the shadows and said "You're right Li," Remus stopped himself. This wasn't Lily! "You're right whoever you are. We don't trust you and we don't think you are our friends. Stupefy!"

Tonks stepped out from behind the couch. "Stupefy!" she said, pointing her wand at James.

Now that they had stunned the imposters Tonks and Remus dragged the limp bodies towards the fireplace.

Tonks grabbed Sirius and said "Hogwarts Headmasters Office!"

Remus grabbed Lily and James before stepping into the fire and disappearing.

Hogwarts Headmasters office-

Tonks stepped out of the fireplace and called out to the headmaster.

"Nymphadora! How nice to see you. Do you have reports from the ministry?" Dumbledore asked, his blue eyes twinkling merrily.

"No sir. I was about to report to work when these people showed up inside headquarters." She lifted up Sirius' limp form.

The twinkle from the headmaster's eye vanished.

Remus lifted up the bodies of Lily and James.

Dumbledore quickly came down from his desk to examine them.

"You just stunned them correct?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, sir. We weren't sure if they could be useful or have information" replied Remus.

"Well then, I guess we'll just have to awaken them and ask."

"Rennervate!" shouted Dumbledore. His spell was strong enough to wake them all up at once.

"Dumbledore!" Sirius, James and Lily shouted.

"That would be me, but I have no idea who you are"

"Who do we look like we are! We're Lily, James and Sirius"

"No, you aren't. All three of them are dead."

"We'll take veritaserum". Lily said.

This surprised all the everyone. If these people were really imposters they couldn't take veritaserum! It would make them tell they're true identities.

Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "Very well. Remus, could you ask Severus for some veritaserum? Do not tell him why we need it, though. Tonks please go to the Ministry and tell the minister that Dumbledore needs to see him urgently and to bring a scribe. You three," He said gesturing to Lily, James and Sirius, "Go sit on the couch".

"Yes sir," everyone said and moved to follow directions.

The room was awkwardly silent because no one wanted to talk to one another but, this did make Dumbledores eyes twinkle.

Finally, Remus came back with the potion and Tonks came back with the minister but, it wasn't Fudge.

"Hello, Rufus," Dumbledore said cheerfully.

"Good evening Dumbledore. What is this urgent meeting about?"

"Dumbledore... who is this?"

"Who am I?! I am the Minister of..." He trailed off when he saw who had asked him the question.

At that point, everyone in the room shouted "Dumbledore?!"

For different reasons of course.

Lily, James and Sirius were still confused as to who this person was and Scrimgeour was confused and shocked as to why dead people were sitting on a couch.

"Oh! Yes! This is Rufus Scrimgeour the new Minister of Magic. He was hired after Fudge was fired. Rufus this is the reason we are meeting. These people claim to be Lily and James Potter and Sirius Black. We are going to test them with veritaserum. We just need you to be a witness."

Scrimgeour still shocked at this announcement simply nodded his head and motioned for his scribe to record everything said.

"Ok, who wants to go first?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye.

James, Lily and Sirius were a bit more confident now that the twinkle was back. It had to mean that Dumbledore thought it was them. If he thought that they were imposters, his eyes would be cold and hard.

With the new confidence, Sirius stepped forward to take the potion.

Soon his eyes glazed over and became cloudy and Dumbledore started the questioning.

"What is your full name?"

"Sirius Orion Black"

Gasps were heard from those who weren't dead.

"What is your relation to Harry Potter?"

"I'm his godfather"

"Were you the Potters secret keeper?"

"No. We switched to Peter Pettigrew last minute"

"Who pushed you through the veil in the department of mysteries?"

"My cousin Bellatrix Lestrange" Sirius growled.

"Ok, I think that is enough". Dumbledore said merrily.

He gave Sirius the antidote and then embraced him.

"So wait, considering the Minister isn't arresting me I'm free?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"Yes, Sirius. When Fudge had evidence that I was right the whole time he listened to everything I said. Possibly just a last resort to save his job, but it got the word out." Dumbledore said.

Now it was Remus' turn to talk to Sirius.

"Sirius, You have no idea how happy I am to see you alive. It's been really dull without you around to kick Kreacher!" Remus said grinning.

"Yeah, cuz. We missed you threatening the stupid elf. When we go back you have a real reason to terrorize him. He is the cause of your death." Tonks added.

"Hey, people! We know you're happy to see Sirius but, we would like to be cleared too you know!" said James.

"Yes of course," Scrimgeour said.

They repeated the question process with Lily and James who they found to be the real Potters.

While Lily helped Dumbledore and Scrimgeour with the official stuff, James, Sirius and Remus had their own marauder reunion.

"Hey guys I know you just got back but, tonight is the full moon and we're at Hogwarts. Wanna celebrate by going back and doing it like the old days?" Remus questioned.

"Of course Moony! Why not? It will be fun to romp around with a werewolf!"

Which is why at dusk Moony, Padfoot and Prongs set out to have fun and pretend that that they were schoolboys again. Hungry for mischief and no cares about the war around them.

 **Author's Note- Hey guys! Here is a longer chapter. Sorry the last one was a bit shorter but I didn't really know what else to put and I liked how it ended. Anyway, hope this chapter is good and I promise that Harry will be in the next chapter. Maybe I might even put a little about Fred and George meeting their idols! Please feel free to review!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	3. Chapter 3-Meeting Harry

Chapter 5- Meeting Harry

"Boys! It's time for breakfast!" Lily called out.

Remus, James and Sirius all came thundering down the stairs of number 12 Grimmauld Place.

"What's for breakfast Flower?" asked James.

"I made eggs, sausage, bacon and pancakes so eat up. Remember I only made this much because we have an important day ahead of us."

Today was the day that James, Lily and Sirius told the whole Order about their revival. They were all worried that the Order wouldn't accept them but, they all showed it in different ways.

James pulled pranks on Remus, Sirius ate more than usual if that is possible and Lily busied herself with housework.

Then after the Order meeting the advance guard would get Harry from Privet Drive and bring him to headquarters. Of course, this also worried Lily, James and Sirius because they had come back to help Harry. Basically, they were all having the same argument Sirius had had with himself before he revealed himself to James.

They wanted to see Harry but what if he rejected them?

What if he didn't want adults in his life?

So when it was time for the Order meeting they hid in the kitchen while Remus and the others filed into the meeting room.

In the meeting room-

"Good morning everybody! This is a very special day because we have some surprise visitors!" Dumbledore announced.

"Have they been checked for the dark mark?" Arthur Weasley asked.

"Yes, I assure you they are on our side. They came a long way to help us. So if there are no other questions?" No one said anything. "Perfect! Please come in!" Dumbledore called to Lily, James and Sirius.

When they came in all jaws dropped except Dumbledore, Remus and Tonks.

Silence.

Then,

"They're dead!"

"Imposters!"

"Death Eaters!"

Dumbledore tried to calm everyone down with the help of Remus and Tonks but it still took a good 5 minutes to get everyone quiet.

"I assure you these truly are Lily, James and Sirius. It seems Fate decided to give them another chance at life to help Harry. We have checked them with veritaserum"

More silence.

Then, Molly Weasley burst into sobs. She got up and went to hug them with one of her famous bone-crushing hugs.

This seemed to cause a chain reaction because soon everyone was coming and hugging their once dead friends.

Once everyone was seated again Dumbledore spoke, "Yes I know you are all very happy but if the advance guard could go get Harry? Good everyone else stays here and report what is happening."

Advance Gaurd-

"Ok quick headcount," Mad-eye Moody said. "I know this seems childish but I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be happy if we left you with the muggles."

Remus, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Emmeline Vance, Dedalus Diggle and Hestia Jones were all part of the advance guard and knew that they couldn't argue with Mad-eye so they waited until he had counted and then set off on brooms to Privet Drive.

Back at Headquarters-

"So, what's happening with Voldemort and his Death morons?" questioned Sirius

"Well.. one of my... suppliers... moved out of his house after a recent attack on the area," Mundungus said.

"Which area was this?" asked James

"Ummm... Muggle town. Outskirts of London. Very plain. Only a few families. One was Redwood, Smith and Dursley, Clancy..." Mundungus said.

"Wait, DURSLEY?!" shouted James, Lily and Sirius.

"Does your sisters whale of a husband have any relatives?"

"I think that he has one. Marge. Looked just like Vernon. Had a lot of dogs" Lily said trying to remember her brother in-law's family.

"Well, then I believe we should check up on all the families if you don't know who survived Mundungus?" Dumbledore asked.

"No idea. Just that my buddies house was blown to pieces along with all his stuff." Mundungus said, no doubt sad that whatever he was trading was gone.

"Well, that's our next mission. Maybe we send a group tomorrow?" Dumbledore suggested.

Lily looked at the boys and asked "Could we volunteer for this? I know we are supposedly dead but we could disguise ourselves. It is my sisters family and I want to mak sure that they are ok."

"Of course Lily. I will send you and James but Sirius is needed here. Do you need anyone else to come with?"

"No, I think that will be ok."

"Perfect onto the next order of business. Sirius and Arthur are needed to come with me to run a few errands including going to the ministry and Azkaban. Sirius if you aren't comfortable with this I understand and I could get someone else to go." Dumbledore said.

Sirius and Arthur looked at each other and nodded.

"Great. Last thing Molly and Arthur what do you think about staying at headquarters until the school year starts? I think the kids would like to be by Harry and it has extra protection"

Molly and Arthur looked at each other before nodding and saying they would bring the kids over tomorrow.

Advance Guard-

"OK everyone, begin to descend." Yelled Mad-eye

Everyone obeyed and soon they were outside 4 Privet Drive.

"Tonks check for the Dursleys."

"Homenum Revelio!" 1 blink.

Only Harry was in the house.

"Perfect. Ok team. Tonks, Shacklebolt, Lupin and I will go through the front door. Everyone else guards the outside and make sure no muggles see us." Mad-eye commanded. "Alohomora"

With that, they entered the kitchen.

Harry's Room-

"Alohomora." a voice whispered

Harry stopped staring at the ceiling and automatically reached for his wand and pulled it in front of him.

Then he crept towards the door of his room.

He could hear voices whispering.

They sounded familiar but, Harry couldn't place them.

The voices were getting closer.

Harry took a step back and waited in the shadows until they opened his door.

"Harry?" a male voice called out.

As Harry was about to stun him the man stepped out of the shadows.

It was Remus Lupin.

Harry stepped out of the shadows.

"Oh, it's you. I had no idea you were coming." Harry said.

"Change of plans," Mad-eyes gruff voice said. "Something has come up and it is important we get you to headquarters."

"What happened?" Harry asked, "Was someone attacked?"

"Nothing too bad. The regular muggle attacks, but that's not the reason we came to get you. We'll tell you more when we get to headquarters." Tonks said.

"OK. Wait won't the Dursleys question where I am. Not that they care but, they might want to know that their servant is leaving."

"I already wrote the note," Remus said.

"Ok. Wait. Will the Weasleys and Hermione be there?"

"Of course! Do you think we would let you sit around the house with nothing to do?" said Kingsley.

So Harry packed his trunk and grabbed Hedwig and his firebolt.

Headquarters-

"Lily, James and Sirius please go to Sirius' old bedroom and wait there. I will have Remus explain everything to Harry then Harry can go up and meet you."

Lily was about to reply when they heard the door open.

Lily, James and Sirius ran up the stairs to the bedroom.

"Hello? We're back with Potter!"

"Oh hello Alastor. In the kitchen."

Mad-eye came into the kitchen followed by Harry and the advance guard.

Harry was looking a little sad at being back in his godfather's house but other than that he still looked the same as he did last year.

"Hello, Harry. The Weasleys and Hermione will arrive tomorrow but, I think you will be grateful you have a day to think everything over. Remus will explain everything. Remus?" Dumbledore said.

"Yes. I think it would be best if I explained in private, though." Remus replied.

Everyone shuffled out of the room.

"Professor, what's so important that you have to explain in private? I mean what's so important I had to come here?"

"Well, first of all, I'm no longer your professor. The thing is Harry, it concerns Sirius." Harry opened his mouth but Remus put a hand up to stop him. "I know you don't want to talk about it and neither do I." Remus started. "Harry, have you ever heard of Fate?"

"Not that I can think of. Is it an important term? I mean fate is just what happens to someone."

"That's kind of correct but Fate is a person in the magical world who influences what happens to people. She lives in the afterlife but has the ability to appear in the mortal world if she feels that a person really needs her to step in. Fate felt like she had taken too many people away in your life. She felt like she had to correct her mistakes."

"Wait, but how do you know this? You would have had to talk to a person who had talked to Fate. That's not possible unless they came from the afterlife. Wait she talked about me? Correct her mistakes? how can she correct her mistakes if they're already dead?"

Remus was going to answer but Harry had already figured it out.

"Who?" he asked

"Lily, James and Sirius have come back to life. They have of course been checked. They're not imposters."

"Where?" Harry asked his expression hopeful.

"Upstairs in Sirius' bedroom."

Harry ran as fast as he could and then pulled the door open.

Inside he saw Lily and James kissing while Sirius ran around in his animagus form. Of course, when the door opened they all stopped and stared at each other.

Slowly Lily lifted herself off of the couch she was sitting on and approached Harry.

She touched his face and felt his heartbeat before embracing him and sobbing. James followed his wife and joined the group hug.

Sirius transformed and waited until the family at hugged for a bit before catching Harry's eye and smiling.

Harry separated himself from his parents and ran over to Sirius giving him a big hug and whispering "I'm sorry Sirius. I'm so sorry" over and over again

Sirius broke the embrace and grabbed Harry by the shoulders.

"What on earth could you be sorry for Harry?"

Harry looked at the floor "I went to the Ministry that night. It's my fault you died." Harry actually looked close to tears because of this.

"It's always my fault." He turned to his parents "It's my fault you died too. You died so I could live. Cedric died because I insisted that we both take the cup. It's always my fault" A single tear slid down Harry's cheek.

Then Lily, James and Sirius all hugged Harry and tried to assure him that it wasn't his fault.

Remus decided to come in at that moment and when he saw Harry surrounded by his parents and Sirius who were all wearing sad expressions, he joined them hugging on the floor.

It was in that moment that Harry realized that he had a family.

He finally had a family that cared about him.

Harry smiled and then looked at those around him and laughed.

Through his laughter, Harry said four words that made everything ok;

"I have a family"


	4. Chapter 6-Ron and Hermione

Lily looked down at her sleeping son.

He had had such a hard life and she couldn't imagine that the Dursleys made it any easier.

Even when Harry slept she could see his wand sticking out from the under the pillow and his face wasn't completely relaxed.

She hated to wake him but she had some things to tell him before his friends came over.

"Harry?"

"Mmm"

"It's mum. Please wake up, I have to tell you something"

Harry slowly sat up.

When he saw that his mum was there he was ecstatic.

He thought it had all been a dream.

"Harry? I know you're tired but Ron and Hermione should be here soon. It would be great if you could tell them about us."

"Of course, I'll tell them. The rest of the Weasleys are coming too aren't they?" Harry had a crush on Ginny Weasley but he didn't know if she felt the same way. Of course, she had a crush on him when she first met him but that was a fangirl crush. Now that she knew him better would she still be interested? Then there was also all her protective brothers.

"Yes. The rest of the Weasleys are coming tomorrow. You dad, Sirius and I have missions we have to go to so we won't be here for a lot of the afternoon. Also, Molly and Arther are going to tell the rest of the kids before they come here so you won't have to explain again. Now want some breakfast? Remus, Sirius and your dad are already down there."

That was when it hit Harry.

He had a father and a godfather who were great with girls.

He could talk to them and get advice!

Harry smiled widely and raced downstairs.

That set Mrs. Black off.

"BLOOD TRAITORS! MUDBLOODS! ABOMINATIONS OF MY FLESH! HOW DARE YOU STEP IN THE ANCIENT AND NOBLE HOUSE OF-" she was cut off by James and Sirius pulling her curtains closed.

"Good morning Harry!" Sirius said. "Great person in the morning my mother is"

"Let's go get breakfast" James suggested.

After breakfast, Harry approached James.

"Hey dad," It still sounded weird for Harry to say that. "Could I talk to you really quickly?"

"Of course Harry! I'm always here to talk"

They went into the study where Harry locked the door and cast a silencing charm.

"Wait, Harry aren't you 15? You're not allowed to use magic over the holiday." James said.

"First I'm almost 16 and this place has undetectable charms on it so the can't detect my magic."

"Ohhhhhhh. Right. Anyway, what did you want to talk about."

"Well," Harry started. He was very nervous. he hadn't told anybody about this before. "I have a crush on a really nice girl."

At this James let out a shout of happiness. This was something that would make the bond between them stronger. Also, he got to hear about the love life of his son, the most famous boy in the world.

"What's her name? What's her house? Does she play quidditch? What position?-"

Harry cut him off.

"I'll tell you all about her. I just ask one thing in return."

"Wait is it?" asked James eagerly

"I need you to find out if she's dating anyone."

"Done"

"Ok," Harry said "She's a chaser on the Gryffindor quidditch team. She's a year below me and she is beautiful. She has chocolate brown eyes and long red hair."

James smiled at this.

They were meant to be. All Potters have married redheads.

"Why are you smiling Dad?" Harry asked

"Well, I think she sounds great. I love that she has red hair. It's always a good sign with Potters. One thing though you still haven't told me her name." James replied.

Harry took a deep breath and said "Ginny Weasley"

James froze for a second before grinning like a maniac.

"Um. Dad? Are you ok?"

"Of course, I am! You have a crush on a person I approve of! I will find out all the information I can tonight when the rest of the Weasleys get here."

"Perfect! Just make sure Ginny doesn't know."

James was going to reply when the floo activated.

Harry grinned and yelled "Thanks!" before running out the door.

Ron and Hermione tumbled out of the fireplace onto the floor of Order headquarters.

"Ron! Get off of me!"

"I'm trying!"

Suddenly they both heard laughter behind them.

They stood up immediately and saw Harry leaning against a wall chuckling.

"Harry!" they exclaimed.

"Hey, guys! How are you?" Harry asked

"Good" Hermione replied then she added, "How are you?"

"Never better!"

Hermione and Ron stood there in surprise.

When they had last seen Harry he was moping around Hogwarts ignoring everyone.

Finally, Harry asked, "Are you guys ok?"

That pulled them out of their trance.

"Yes, Harry we're fine. I guess it's just a surprise. You weren't, well, in the best shape when we last saw you." Hermione said.

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"What she means Harry is that you looked like a ghoul." Ron said

"Ron!" Hermione shouted, "He did not he was just a little depressed that's all."

"Sure," Ron said and then muttered something incoherent

"I probably did look like a ghoul Hermione but something made me extremely happy this summer." Harry explained with a smile. "You guys wait in the sitting room and I'll explain but, first I have to get the surprise."

Ron and Hermione nodded and walked off.

Then Harry went upstairs and got Sirius, James and Lily together.

"Ok, Mom, Dad and Sirius I am going to explain everything to Ron and Hermione. When I yell 'Come in' you guys show yourselves so they don't think I'm mad. Ok?"

They nodded so Harry ran back downstairs into the sitting-room.

"Ok so where should I start?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione.

"Why don't you start with why you came here." Hermione suggested

"Ok, sure. Well, one day I was doing my usual moping around at the Dursleys when I heard a voice whisper alohomora."

Hermione and Ron gasped.

"I grabbed my wand and was about to stun whoever it was but Remus stepped out of the shadows. It was actually the advance guard who had come to get me last year. They told me there was something important that could only be said at headquarters. So I grabbed my stuff and followed them back here. Ok you might want to prepare yourselves"

Ron and Hermione nodded and gestured for him to go on.

"Well when I got here, Remus asked to talk to me in private. Nothing bad happened" Harry assured them "He talked to me about Fate."

Hermione gasped slightly.

"I've read about her. She's supposed to control everyone Fate or destiny right?" Hermione said

"Right Hermione. Remus told me that Fate had made a mistake. Took away too many people in my life. He said she wanted to fix her mistake."

Both Hermione and Ron gasped.

"Harry, mate, how could she fix her mistake? If she took people away from you, they're dead." Ron said

"That's correct Ron but, Fate controls destiny."

"Harry, what are you saying?" Hermione asked, "Nothing can bring people back to life."

"Except Fate. Guys the surprise is that my parents and Sirius came back to life this summer."

Hermione and Ron sat there open mouthed.

"Come in!" Harry called and in came James, Lily, and Sirius.

"'ello Ermione an' On!" said Sirius while eating a pumpkin pasty.

"Sirius!" said Hermione.

She jumped up and hugged him with all her might.

Ron still just sat there.

"Hermione," Harry said gesturing to his parents "These are my parents."

Hermione squealed and ran to them hugging them as well.

When she released them she looked at all of them with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so happy for you! You must be over the moon! How is this even possible? Who else knows? Are you sure they aren't imposters? Oh, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed before bursting into tears and excusing herself from the room.

This snapped Ron out of his daze and him, Harry, James and Sirius all looked very confused as to why Hermione was crying.

"Boys." Lily sighed. "Must girls write a book for men to understand them? Anyway, I believe we have missions to go on?"

"Right. Ron and I will try to find Hermione. Stay safe!" Harry said

"Bye sweetheart. See you tonight!" Lily replied

Lily and James walked out of the room and a few seconds later the pops of apparition were heard.

"See ya kiddo!" Sirius said before walking away to find Dumbledore.

Harry and Ron looked at each other and sighed.

They knew what was coming.

They had to find Hermione and when they did she would probably accuse them of having the emotional range of a teaspoon. Then she would ask where the adults were. When they told her she would tell them to do their homework and they would try to argue even though she would win anyway.

It would be a long afternoon.

 **Authors Note- Thank you all for the reviews and suggestions! Thank you LunaLovegood21 for the great suggestion and review! Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	5. Chapter 7-Worst Fear

"Hermione!" called Ron and Harry.

They had been searching the house for hours and they still couldn't find their friend.

Then Harry had a wonderful idea.

"Kreacher!"

As soon as Hary called a very old house elf appeared in front of him.

"Yes Little Master?" croaked the elf.

Behind Harry, Ron laughed.

"Kreacher why do you call me little master?" Harry asked.

"Master Sirius said the Potters are also part of the Black family now. If they are part of the family, Kreacher must serve them. Kreacher knows do not have Black blood but since Master has made you part of the family I must obey." Kreacher croaked.

"Ok Kreacher, I am going to ask you a question and you must answer honestly ok?"

"Yes little master."

"Do you know where Hermione is?"

"Yes little master. The crazy elf lady is in the attic. She keeps trying to get Kreacher to ask for pay and breaks."

Harry got his answer and was about to leave when he thought about something.

Kreacher had been the reason Sirius died but, Sirius was back now.

Did he hate Kreacher because of it?

He wasn't sure.

So before he turned and went up the steps he said "Thanks Kreacher!"

When Harry and Ron were walking up the steps Ron asked Harry something.

"Why were you nice to Kreacher Harry?"

"I didn't think that he deserved my hatred," Harry said shrugging. "Sirius is back now and that's all that matters."

Ron stared at him and said, "You've been spending too much time with Dumbledore."

Both of them laughed at that.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Harry cautiously opened the door to the attic.

"Hermione?" He called but, received no answer.

Harry and Ron fully entered the attic and looked around.

The attic was extremely dusty and there were numerous spider webs hanging from the ceiling. The windows were covered with dust so light could come in but they couldn't see out. The windows were the only source of light in the attic.

"Hermione?" Ron called out.

There was a noise from behind a wardrobe but no Hermione.

Harry walked forward with Ron behind him and wand out.

There was no telling what was in the attic.

"Lumos," Harry said and his wand lit up.

It was only then that he saw Hermione.

Only one thing was wrong.

She was dead.

Her eyes were open and her arms spread out slightly. Her legs were in what looked like a very uncomfortable position and her wand was in her hand as if she had tried to defend herself but failed.

Ron gasped from behind Harry.

Harry just stood there, his mind racing.

 _She's dead._ Harry thought. _My best friend is dead and it's my fault._

Ron moved forward to check the body.

As he approached the body, Ron noticed that it twitched.

Ron checked for a pulse.

"Harry?" He called "It's ok. She still has a pulse and her heart is beating normally. Do you know what that means?"

Harry didn't respond.

"Harry, It looks like she died from the killing curse but that kills on contact. She would be dead by now."

Silence.

"It's a boggart, Harry. Just say the spell and it's gone" Ron said.

Harry nodded this time and said "Riddiculus"

It didn't work.

There was a 'Crack!' and a dead Ron showed up next to dead Hermione.

Harry tried again.

Crack!

A dead James.

Crack!

Dead Lily

Harry was crying now but he tried one more time.

Crack!

A dead Sirius showed up next to the other bodies.

There was something different about this one though.

It came with a friend.

There was Remus alive and healthy but he was yelling at Harry.

"You already killed them once but you had to do it again!" Remus shouted. "It's your fault they died! It's always your fault!"

"I'm sorry," Harry said weakly.

Ron came at that moment and banished the boggart.

"Harry," Ron said softly "That's your worst fear? Losing your friends and family?"

Harry nodded mutely, wiping away tears.

"Mate," Ron started but he couldn't think of anything to say.

His best friend was in so much danger and he wanted to help him. He was willing to risk his life but would Harry let him? He already thought that everybody else's death was his fault so if he died would Harry blame himself?

"I'm ok Ron. Just drop it ok?" Harry said taking Ron out of his thoughts.

"Yea. Ok," Ron said and they walked to go find the real Hermione.

When they did find Hermione she was sitting on the ground reading Hogwarts a History.

Harry lead the way back to the attic door while Ron and Hermione walked behind him.

Ron gave Hermione a look that said they needed to talk.

Hermione looked confused and concerned but agreed anyway.

Which is way when the rest of the Weasleys got to there, Ron and Hermione could be found alone in a closet.

 **A/N- Hi Guys! I'm so sorry I haven't posted recently. I've been sick and I have a crazy teacher who thought that it would be a good idea to load us up with homework this week. Which brings me to say, if Snape acts weird in this story it is because I am basing his personality off of my crazy teacher. :)**

 **-Marauderette24**


	6. Chapter 8-Ginny Weasley

A few minutes after the boggart incident, the rest of the Weasleys appeared from the fireplace.

"Harry!" called Ginny.

She ran towards him and hugged him.

Her hug was softer than her mothers, but somehow it still had the same strength.

"Hello Ginny" Harry laughed.

She stepped away and opened her mouth to say something but her mother stepped in before she could.

"Harry! You still look so thin. How are your parents? Where are they? Oh yes, and what about Sirius? Is he good too?" Mrs. Weasley asked

"They're all great Mrs. Weasley but they're all on Order missions." Harry replied.

"Do you.." asked Fred

"Know what.." added George

"They're doing?" finished Fred

"Actually no. I have no idea where they are or what they're doing." Harry replied.

On the mission-

"James?"

"Yes Lily?"

"How are we going to get around without people seeing our wands?"

"We don't know how many survived. If they survived they have probably moved and if they're hurt we can take them to Mungos. Anyone else we don't have to worry about."

"Ok"

With that, the two walked forward a bit slowly making sure there weren't death eaters or traps.

There were none but the village looked terrible.

There were pieces of wood and rubble everywhere. The houses had collapsed and the roofs looked like they had been torn off. It looked like a tornado had come through the town.

The worst part of the mess was that Lily and James could see the bodies covered in rubble and laying on the streets.

Lily put a hand over her mouth.

"James.." she said

James looked over at her in pity. His wife was very kind and even if her sister hated her, Lily still considered her family. Lily was probably worried that her sister-in-law was dead.

"Don't worry Lily. I'm sure Marge is alright" James said comfortingly.

Marge wasn't alright.

They found her in the rubble of her house with her throat slit open. Her eyes had rolled back into her head and her limbs were bent at some very odd angles. There were cuts all over her body and blood was everywhere.

Lily was silently crying and James looked disgusted.

"Looks like they recruited the werewolves," James said referring to the cuts.

Lily nodded mutely.

Then looked up and gasped.

James followed her gaze.

On the wall there was writing.

It said "We will go to great lengths to get Potter. She is the first but not the last."

It was written in blood.

"Come on Lily. Let's go home and tell Dumbledore."

Lily nodded and they apparated.

In the Ministry-

"Sirius stay under the cloak until I instruct you to come out, understood?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes sir" Sirius replied.

Dumbledore and Sirius made their way to the Ministers office.

They had left Arther at his office to finish some paperwork for the Order.

Outside the office, there was a woman sitting at a desk.

"Hello," she said, "What is your name and what business do you have with the Minister?"

"My name is Albus Dumbledore and I have an appointment with the Minister to talk about some recent events."

The witch nodded and pressed a button on her desk.

The door opened and she smiled and said to have a nice day.

"Albus! What a pleasure!" Scrimgeour said.

"Hello, Rufus. How are you?" Dumbledore asked.

"I'm just fine Dumbledore. What is it that you wish to speak to me about?"

"I came to discuss Sirius Blacks innocence."

"Ahhh... Yes. Are you completely sure he is innocent Dumbledore?"

"I can assure you, Rufus, he was never a death eater."

Scrimgeour sighed and looked doubtful but said: "If we hurry we can make the morning edition of the Prophet."

Dumbledore smiled and said goodbye.

Sirius and Dumbledore went to pick up Arther and then apparated to Head Quarters.

At Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix-

"Harry? I'm home!" Sirius called.

Harry, along with all the Weasleys, came thundering down the stairs.

"Hello Sirius!" called Harry "How did the meeting at the ministry go?"

"It was fine. I didn't have to say anything. I think Dumbledore only brought me in case I need to be questioned. My innocence should be released to the public tomorrow." Sirius replied with a smile.

Harry grinned. His godfather would finally be free.

Ginny was also grinning. She was happy that Harry was happy. In truth, she was still crushing on Harry. Sure she had dated Michael last year but a voice in her head always told her they weren't meant to be. That's why she broke up with him in the first place. She could only think of Harry.

Ginny was awoken from her thoughts when the sounds of apparition were heard outside of the house.

Sirius rushed to the door with his wand out in case of intruders.

It was Lily and James.

Molly unlocked the door and hugged them both, telling them how glad she to see them again.

Harry also hugged his parents, glad that they got home safely.

Sirius was the only one to notice the sad expressions on their faces.

"What's wrong?" He asked, "Who's dead?"

This seemed to make everyone else notice their expressions.

James sighed and said, "The entire village was murdered."

Gasps were heard from around the room.

"There was no one alive there. If there are survivors they have already left the area. Marge is dead and by the evidence we found, Voldemort has recruited werewolves." Lily continued.

Everybody looked horrified at this news.

Except James.

James had spotted Ginny looking dreamily at Harry and knew that this was his chance.

"Umm... Molly? Arthur? Could I talk to you in the kitchen? Lily, why don't you go upstairs and clean yourself up a bit?" James said.

Lily, Molly and Arthur looked confused but followed his instructions.

When they were in the kitchen James gestured for them to sit down.

"James? What is this about?" Arthur asked.

"I came to ask you a few questions about your daughter. You see there are a couple of people I knew in school and I heard they had a son. I was just wondering if I could get Ginny to contact him for me." James lied.

The Weasleys nodded.

"Ok, so his parents were Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. He is most likely in one of those houses. I have heard from Harry that he dated a few Gryffindors but I know nothing else. Has you daughter dated anyone or is she currently dating anyone?" James asked.

The Weasleys looked thoughtful.

"I think she dated a Ravenclaw named Michael Corner last year. She broke up with him, though. Said it didn't feel right." Arthur said.

Molly smiled "She kept think of Harry. You know James.. His Harry dating anyone?"

James froze. Should he tell Molly that Harry had a crush on Ginny or lie and say that he wasn't even thinking of dating?

He went with the first option.

"Molly, Arthur. Harry has a crush on Ginny." They gasped. "He asked me to find out if she was currently dating anyone. I am not looking for a kid in Ginny's year. I am simply finding out if Ginny is dating anyone. Please don't tell her, Harry wants to ask her out and he can't know that I told anyone."

They were silent for a moment.

Then Molly smiled. "Honestly, James you could have just asked. I would be more than happy if Harry and Ginny dated."

Arthur also smiled. "I agree with Molly."

James breathed a sigh of relief and went to find Harry.

He found Harry in his room with Ron.

"HARRY!" James screeched grinning.

Harry looked up at James.

"Yes Dad?"

James answered by grabbing Harry by the wrist and moving on to Ginny's room. There he grabbed Ginny and then looked both of them in a closet. The two teenagers blushed like crazy. Then Harry realized where he was. As he was about to start pounding on the door, a note was slipped under the door.

It said: _'Ginny is not dating anyone. Molly and Arthur are fine with you dating her. Also don't freak out, this note is charmed so Ginny can't see it.'_

Harry smiled. Then he awkwardly said, "Well, since we're here we might as well make the most of it."

Ginny smiled.

Harry continued nervously "You know one of the reasons that it didn't work out between Cho and me is because I kept thinking of another girl. Cho is very nice but, I can't imagine spending my life with her. It doesn't seem appealing to me. I prefer girls who have a bit more personality. Girls with a fiery temper and hair to match."

His green eyes locked with hers.

She gasped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Is it possible that famous Harry Potter, the most famous boy in the world, wanted her poor Ginny Weasley as his girlfriend?

It wasn't possible. Was it?

Her heart was beating so fast. He was leaning toward her. She was leaning toward him. Her eyes slid closed as she felt his lips pressed against hers. Then he pulled away.

"Me?" Ginny asked.

Harry nodded and Ginny launched herself on top of him to kiss him more.

Of course, at that exact moment, Ron opened the door.

The three of them sat like that for what felt like hours and then Ron finally said: "You're dating?"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and nodded.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something but Ron beat her to it.

"As long as you don't hurt her Harry, we won't have a problem."

Harry and Ginny smiled at that.

"Also, what were you doing in a closet?" Ron asked.

"My dad locked us in" Harry mumbled.

Ron laughed.

"Now Ronald, I think that I would like to stay here with my boyfriend," Ginny said sweetly.

Ron nodded but gave Harry a look before leaving and closing the door.

When he was gone, Ginny seated herself next to Harry and once again kissed him.

After a bit, Harry said, "You know I think we should get to know more about each other."

So they sat there in the closet talking, laughing and kissing.

 **A/N- Hi guys! I now I haven't been posting very much but thank you to everyone that has patiently waited for this chapter. I will write more but it may not be posted for a little bit because I am going on vacation. Please review if you enjoyed!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	7. Chapter 9-Death Eaters in the Alley!

It was the day after Lily, James and Sirius had gotten back from their missions and they were enjoying breakfast with the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry. Harry and Ginny still haven't publicly announced their relationship.

The table was silent so, James decided to start the conversation.

"So Harry, How did the afternoon go yesterday?" James asked innocently.

Both Harry and Ginny blushed.

"Well," Harry replied, "I got locked in the closet."

James smiled and gestured for him to continue.

"Ummm..." Harry said.

Both he and Ginny were as red as a tomato now.

Ginny, being slightly more confident than Harry, stepped in and said: "Well, Mr. Potter locked me and Harry in a closet and we laughed and kissed and talked..."

By then the whole table was silent.

Fred spoke up.

"Wait, what did you just say?"

Ginny said, "Talked?"

"No in before that," George said.

"Laughed?" Ginny supplied.

"No in between." Chorused the twins.

"Oh! Kissed?" Ginny said innocently with a wicked smile on her face.

During this whole conversation, Harry had gone even redder but he also looked slightly nervous as to what the reactions from the Weasley brothers would be.

The twins, Ron, Bill and Charlie all sat gaping at Harry and Ginny.

Finally after having a silent conversation with his brothers, Charlie spoke: "We approve of you dating."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

"One thing, though," Fred said.

"If you hurt our sister," George continued.

"We will hurt you," Bill said.

"Understand?" The brothers chorused

Harry nodded.

The brothers smiled.

Then, Hermione threw herself at Harry.

"I knew it! I just knew that you two would end up together!"

Harry stared at her confused."How in the world did you know? I never said anything about having a crush on anyone other than Cho!"

Hermione smiled and whispered in his ear: "Potters end up with red heads."

Harry's eyes widened before realizing that this was true.

He was about to say something but he was interrupted by a swarm of owls coming into the dining room.

"HOGWARTS LETTERS!" Screamed Ron.

Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny grabbed their letter.

To their surprise, there was still one letter left.

Harry leaned forward to read who it's for.

"Remus." He said simply.

Remus stepped forward looking confused but grabbed the letter. He read it and looked quite surprised by the time he was done reading.

Lily, James, and Sirius were looking at him, wondering what the letter was for.

"It's from Dumbledore," Remus whispered. "He wants me to return to Hogwarts to teach defense against the dark arts."

All mouths dropped open when he said this.

Dumbledore decided to glide through the door right at that moment.

"Oh, good you got my letter," Dumbledore said cheerfully.

Remus nodded but said: "Sir, I can't possibly return to Hogwarts. My secret is out. The parents will be furious! A werewolf can't teach their children!" Remus said.

Dumbledore put a hand up.

"It is actually the parents that requested you come back."

Remus looked confused at this.

"They have written letters to me because their children have requested that you come and teach again. They call you the best defense teacher they have every had and Remus, they don't care that you're a werewolf. You weren't dangerous to most people a few years ago. Also, I think that we can find a substitute once a year." Dumbledore nodded towards Lily.

Lily looked absolutely delighted at this.

Remus still looked doubtful.

Then, Harry stepped in.

"Please come back, Remus. You were the best defense teacher we have ever had. You're so much better than Umbridge! Everyone agrees with me!" Harry said.

"Yeah, Remus! Everybody wants you to come back! Except the Slytherins..." Ron added.

Everybody looked eagerly at Remus.

Remus sighed and said that he would go back.

Everybody cheered.

"Well then, how about we go to Diagon alley to get school supplies today? Lily, Sirius and I can disguise ourselves" James said.

Everybody nodded and went to go get ready.

The group walked down Diagon alley with lots of shopping bags.

They had bought all their school supplies and were now walking towards Weasleys Wizard Wheezes.

When they opened the door they were greeted by Fred and George.

"Welcome!," Started Fred.

"We hope you find," continued George.

"The prank you are looking for!" finished Fred.

Everybody laughed and walked into the store.

There were pranks everywhere.

The group split up in search of the perfect pranks for their needs.

James and Harry stood in a corner together conversing in whispers, Ginny was looking at pigmy puffs, Ron was looking at the love potion and Sirius was running toward the prank candy.

After about 20 minutes they group headed towards check-out when they heard a loud bang followed by screaming.

The adults ran towards the windows.

Outside there were death eaters. They were torturing people and setting shops on fire. Some were even going into shops and killing the people inside.

There was one man screaming "DEATH EATERS IN THE ALLEY! KEEP THE CHILDREN SAFE!"

The adults ran outside. As James was exiting the shop Harry shouted out to him.

"Dad! Can we come help?" Harry shouted.

James considered for a moment. The kids knew how to duel. They could defend themselves. The thing is they could get hurt. Finally, James came to a decision. He nodded at Harry and gestured for him and the other kids to follow him.

As soon as they left the store, they were thrown into battle.

Curses and hexes were lying left and right. It was like a storm of colorful fireworks. A red curse narrowly missed Ginny and a yellow one flew passed George. The kids paired up and dueled the death eaters.

Hermione and Ron took down a few death eaters at once. Fred and George paired up to defend their store. Harry and Ginny were dueling a few dumb death eaters when Harry heard a mad laugh from behind him.

He turned and saw none other than Bellatrix Lestrange dueling his parents and Sirius.

She didn't know who they were but Harry still worried that she would take Sirius from him again. Ginny followed Harry's gaze and saw Bellatrix.

That one glance put Ginny off her guard and she was hit with the cruciatus curse. She fell to the ground and screamed.

Harry looked for the person who had cast it and saw Peter Pettigrew. Harry was filled with hate and charged toward him. Peter saw him at the last moment and tried to dodge but Harry tackled him to the ground. Peter lost grip on his wand which canceled the cruciatus curse.

Ginny sat on the ground gasping for breath.

"FIRST MY PARENTS, THEN CEDRIC, AND NOW MY GIRLFRIEND?!" Harry shouted.

Harry would have said more but he was suddenly aware that Peter had touched his dark mark and was now glowing.

Peter smiled evilly and at that moment Harry felt the familiar sensation of traveling by portkey.

Ginny had looked up in time to see Harrys confused face as he disappeared. She screamed. Not because she was in pain but to draw attention to the fact that Harry was gone.

It did catch the attention of Harrys parents, Sirius, Remus and all the death eaters. The death eaters looked around and then looked at their dark marks before glowing and disappearing. The others all came running over to see what was wrong.

"Harry," Ginny said crying slightly. "Pettigrew cast the cruciatus curse on me and Harry tackled him. Then Pettigrew pressed his dark mark, glowed and then he and Harry disappeared!" Ginny said. She was now sobbing.

By that time the Weasleys, Hermione and Tonks had come over by Ginny and the aurors were investigating. Hermione, Mrs. Weasley and Lily were all crying. Sirius and James looked furious that Peter had betrayed them again but they also looked sad and disbelieving.

They sat there for a bit before disapparating back home to figure out what to do next.


	8. Chapter 10- Hogwarts

Ginny was sitting on her bed staring out the window. She was beyond the point of crying so instead she sat on her bed, not talking to anyone.

Her boyfriend Harry Potter, had been kidnapped by Lord Voldemort about a week ago. Voldemort killed anyone who stood in his way and Harry definitely stood in his way. Harry is the reason the world was Voldemort free for 13 years. Voldemort would want to cause Harry pain. Voldemort would want to kill Harry.

A knock on her door woke Ginny up from her thoughts. Molly entered and tried to smile slightly for her daughter. Everybody had been hit hard by Harry's kidnapping but some people more than others.

James was trying to stay strong for Lily but he was really depressed. Ron and Hermione forgot that they were supposed to be arguing and just sat in the same room hugging and crying. Sirius and Remus tried to stay strong for James. They mourned on their own.

The order was doing everything they could to bring Harry back but, Snape had no information and they had no idea where Voldemorts hideout was.

"There is an Order meeting today." Molly started casually.

Ginny just sat there.

"Snape has information on where Harry is," Molly said. At this Ginny's head whipped up.

She looked hopefully at her mother and Molly smiled at her.

"We are letting the kids come down for this meeting only. Just show you that we are making an effort to get him back."

Ginny beamed and got up to follow her mother.

When they got downstairs, the Order members were seated around the meeting table. More people came in and sat down. Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus all sat together. Lily was crying silently with James' arm wrapped around her shoulders. When everyone was there, people looked at Dumbledore expectantly.

Dumbledore nodded towards Snape who stood up.

"I know where Harry Potter is!" Snape announced

Lily stopped crying and looked at Snape at these words. Snape noticed this and Ginny thought she saw a flicker of happiness in his eyes. She dismissed this because she was too anxious to hear about Harry and confused as to why Snape knew where he was.

"He is in the most secure dungeon of Lestrange Manor. He is guarded 24/7 and is tortured daily. The Manor is full of death eaters at all times and has lots of security."

Everybody in the room looked hopeless. There was no way to get Harry out of there if they couldn't get in. To make matters worse Snape kept talking.

"The dark lord himself has stationed himself in a room above the dungeons," Snape said.

There was silence.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Ginny timidly.

Snape glared at her and yelled "Why did you ask a stupid question? I just said that the dark lord himself is just a floor above Potter! Even if we could get past him, there are death eaters everywhere! There is nothing we can do! Harry Potter is not coming back!"

Lily burst into tears and had to be led out of the room by James. Sirius and Remus glared murderously at Snape. Molly was also crying and Arther had his arm around her shoulders. Ginny had the opposite reaction.

She stood up to her full height and lifted her head up high. Her eyes were sparkling with tears but they didn't fall. Ginny flipped her hair off her shoulder and glared at the potions master.

"Harry will come home!" Ginny shouted. "I don't care if you give up hope. I won't and neither should you!"

Then she stormed off to her room. Ginny locked the door and then slowly slid down to the floor with her back against the door. She cried silently into her hands. She knew that Harry might not ever come back but she hated how Snape crushed everyone's hopes.

Ginny sat there and cried for awhile and no one tried to open her door. They knew that Ginny needed some time to cool off.

After a few minutes, Ginny stood up and walked over to her mirror. She was a wreck but she didn't care. She flopped onto her bed and was asleep instantly.

Downstairs-

Snape was talking to Dumbledore when he suddenly grabbed at his left forearm.

Dumbledore looked at him questioningly.

Snape nodded and started to walk out of the house when Dumbledore spoke to him.

"You didn't really mean that there was no way to get Harry did you?" Dumbledore asked his eyes twinkling.

Snape didn't look at him but replied, "I said we couldn't get people inside the building. I never said that people from the inside couldn't save him."

With a flick of his robes, Snape was gone.

In Lestrange Manor-

Harry was getting worse every day.

He was barely fed and when he was he only got a slice of bread and a small sip of water. He was tortured daily.

Although, he wasn't always tortured the same way. Some days he would be put under the cruciatus curse and others he would have to sit with dementors in his cell. The death eaters would leave them in there long enough for them to pull down their hoods before pulling them out.

Harry was very tired but he stayed strong. He didn't give into the pain of the cruciatus. He had to stay sane for Ginny. Ginny was one of the many faces that popped into his head when he thought about letting his sanity go.

Whenever Harry was tortured, he would think about everybody he wanted to see when he got out of here. He thought about his parents and Sirius hugging him. He also thought of hanging out with Ron and Hermione or kissing Ginny.

Sometimes Voldemort himself would come into the cell. He would always ask the same question.

"Do you want me to kill you yet Harry Potter?" Voldemort would say in his evil silky voice.

"When I feel like dying I'll tell you Tom" Harry would say with a smirk.

This earned him another torture session.

Then one day things went a bit different.

Harry woke up one morning and found food left at his door. He crawled over to it and devoured it in seconds. Harry looked down at himself.

He was covered in bruises and cuts. He had dirt all over him and his hair was worse than usual.

He had definitely lost weight and he thought he might have sprained his wrist.

He looked down at the empty plate. There was writing scratched into it. It said:

 _'Today is September 1st'_

Harry thought about this for a moment. Then it came to him. Hogwarts! Whoever had scratched the plate intended for Harry to know that Hogwarts was open and safe.

Harry was happy until he realized that he had no way of getting out of the dungeons.

So he sat in his cell waiting for something to happen.

Snape was walking down from the kitchens.

He had scratched something into Potters plate before it was sent to him. With any luck, the boy would figure out what he meant. So Snape was now on his way to the dungeons.

When he got to Harrys cell, he stopped and gave the guards a glare. Then he moved his attention to the cell. He used all his mind power and mentally communicated with Harry.

 _Potter, can you hear me?_ Snape silently asked.

Harry was trying to apparate himself but he had no luck. Then all of a sudden a thought invaded his mind.

 _Potter, can you hear me?_ asked the voice of his potions professor.

Harry was confused but also relieved.

 _I'm here professor_. Harry thought.

 _Good_ , thought Snape. _Now I need you to concentrate on getting your wand. It should be on the shelf outside of your cell. Then get yourself to Hogwarts. You will only have limited time to get out of here. Am I understood?_

Harry could almost hear his professor glaring at him.

 _Yes, Sir_ Harry thought and he prepared to leave his cell.

Outside Snape silently stunned the guards and used a memory modification spell so it looked like Harry had stunned them. Then he unlocked Harrys door and left.

Harry quickly used what little energy he had left and sprinted out the door. He grabbed his wand as he ran by then he ran past the death eaters before they even realized it was him.

His luck didn't last forever, though.

By the time Harry was outside he was being chased and the alarms had gone off.

Harry ran into the woods as fast as his legs could carry him and focused on Hogsmeade.

Please let this work! Harry thought desperately as he tried to disapparate.

Amazingly it worked and Harry felt like he was being sucked into a tube before he landed in Hogsmeade.

Before the death eaters could follow him, he ran towards the castle. Harry heard the pops of apparition and shouts of the death eaters but he kept running. Once he was in Hogwarts boundaries, the death eaters suddenly stopped. It was like they had been thrown backward by an invisible force. Harry looked behind himself for a second before resuming his run to the castle.

He was almost there!

In Hogwarts-

Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were quietly waiting for Dumbledore to start his speech.

They were all quite depressed that Harry wasn't here. They all sat together to comfort each other as Dumbledore began to speak.

"Hello everybody! Welcome to Hogwarts! I have some important announcements I would like to make before we begin eating. First, I would like to welcome back Remus Lupin who has come back to teach because of your requests." Dumbledore stopped for a moment because no one would be able to hear him over the loud cheers that the students made.

Then he continued.

"Yes, Yes I know I am glad to have him back as well. Professor Lupin is a werewolf as you all know so he will have a substitute every full moon. I will tell you more about her in a second. As you can see Professor Snape is currently out looking for potion ingredients but he will be back soon. The next announcement concerns Harry Potter."

The hall got very quite at this announcement.

"Some of you probably know that Fate is a person who lives in the afterlife. Fate felt that Harry had lost too many people in his life so she fixed her mistakes by bringing Lily and James Potter back to life."

The great hall was stunned, to say the least. Then when Lily, James, and Sirius walked in they screamed and pointed and a few girls even fainted.

Dumbledore continued "Also Sirius Black is innocent and is also alive. Lily Potter will be your monthly substitute."

The hall was excitedly whispering about having a dead person teach them. Then people looked around to see if Harry knew that his parents were alive. When they didn't see him, everybody demanded to know where he was.

"Well, you see," Dumbledore started "Harry Potter was recently kidnapped."

Everybody gasped.

Dumbledore was about to elaborate when the doors swung open.

Harry finally reached the door of Hogwarts and pulled it open.

He walked into the light and heard a few girls scream.

"I'm here," Harry said sleepily before he collapsed onto the floor.

 **A/N- Hi everybody! Wow! That chapter is almost 2,000 words! Thank you for sticking with the story even though I haven't updated as much as I should. I hope this satisfied your request** **fons19** **! I have much more planned and I promise to update more frequently. Please Review and Follow my story so you won't miss any updates.**

 **-Marauderette24**


	9. Chapter 11- The Hospital Wing

For a minute, time seemed to stop.

Harry Potter, the boy Dumbledore had just said was missing, was in the Great Hall. He was injured and yet no one moved to help him. They were all frozen in shock.

Then, Ginny Weasley let out a squeak and got up and ran to Harry. Lily, James, Sirius, and Remus were next. Soon after, Ron, Hermione, and the professors ran to Harry.

From there the Great Hall was in chaos. All the students wanted to get a glimpse of Harry, so they all ran up and crowded the professors who were trying to get Harry to the hospital wing. Those who weren't trying to see Harry were whispering amongst themselves and looking scared. The Slytherins were the only ones who were still acting like they didn't care.

Finally, Dumbledore stood and yelled "Please return to your tables! Harry Potter is being transferred to the hospital wing and you are to finish your dinner!"

All the professors except, Remus, McGonagail, and Dumbledore, sat back down at the head table to watch the students.

Dumbledore and McGonagail were leading the group to the hospital wing. Sirius and Remus were carrying Harry in the front of the group. Lily was sobbing and James held her up behind Sirius. Ginny and Hermione were crying lightly and being supported by Ron who looked shocked and horrified at the state Harry was in.

When they made it to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey immediately instructed Sirius and Remus to lay Harry on the bed. Then she ushered everybody out of the room and got to work.

Outside of the hospital wing, everyone was silent. Everyone was carried away in their thoughts that they hardly registered the person next to them. Although they were all thinking about the same person.

Harry.

So they all waited there until Madame Pomfrey came out.

"Harry will be all right!" She declared with a smile.

The other occupants of the room grinned too. Sirius and Remus grinned and embraced each other. Lily jumped up and down laughing with relief while James stood beside her laughing. Hermione and Ron kissed while Ginny went up and asked Madame Pomfrey a question.

Madame Pomfrey smiled down at Ginny when she started walking towards her.

"Is Harry awake?" Ginny asked.

Madame Pomfrey replied, "No, Harry is not yet awake. His body needs time to heal and I gave him a sleeping potion. He could wake up anytime between now and a few days but he shouldn't be asleep longer than a week."

Then Ginny asked the dreaded question.

"How close was he?" She asked in a lowered voice. She did not want the other occupants of the room to hear.

Madame Pomfrey's smile faltered but she replied;

"If you had brought him to me a minute later, he would be in a coma or worse." Madame Pomfrey lowered her voice as well. "We won't tell the others just yet, correct?"

Ginny nodded stiffly and returned to celebrate with her friends.

Madame Pomfrey smiled at everyone and cleared her throat.

Everybody looked up at her.

"You can all take turns visiting Harry. He is not yet awake but, he could wake up at any time during the week. I suggest you have someone with him when he does wake up. At night, only 2 people are allowed by his bedside. During the day, 4 people are allowed."

The group nodded and looked at each other. Lily and James stepped forward to take the first shift. Ginny, Hermione, Ron and Professor McGonagail returned to Gryffindor tower. Remus went to his private quarters and Sirius went to tell the other members of the Order. Dumbledore walked back to his office.

In the Gryffindor Common Room-

When Ginny, Ron, and Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room, it was chaos. Everyone was trying to ask what happen to Harry, so Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were surrounded.

"Is he ok?"

"When is he coming back?"

"Is he dead?!"

"SHUT UP!" Ginny roared.

The room went silent.

Ginny was too irritated to continue so Hermione took over.

"Listen, everyone, thank you for your concern, but it is really a private matter and you shouldn't be bugging us about it. Harry will be fine but he is currently sleeping."

When Hermione was done speaking, they were once again bombarded by questions and apologies. They pushed their way through the crowd and went to their dorm rooms to sleep.

In the Hospital Wing-

Harry was lying on his hospital bed with his parents sitting beside him.

"Harry?" questioned Lily.

Harry had no response. No sign of movement or sound. That wasn't very surprising, though.

Harry hadn't moved since he came to the hospital wing.

Harry's parents sat there for the night eventually falling asleep.

Madame Pomfrey came in the morning to wake them up.

"Lily, James. It's time to wake up."

They answered with moans of protest.

"I know you had a rough day yesterday, so Remus has made you beds in his room to stay in until Harry is awake."

The couple got up and left the hospital wing so Madame Pomfrey could do her check up on Harry.

Ginny was walking with Luna to her first DADA class with professor Lupin.

"Ginny? Professor Lupin is very close to Harry. Won't he be a bit off today? You know since Harry is in the hospital wing." Luna asked in a dreamy voice.

"I think you're right Luna," Ginny said smiling. Most people thought Luna was strange because she believed and theorized different things. Ginny knew that once you got to know her, she was a kind, caring, person.

When they walked into the classroom, Lunas theory was proven correct.

Papers were strewn around the classroom and Professor Lupin slumped over his desk.

When the class walked in, they waited patiently for Professor Lupin to start the class.

After a moment of silence, the professor raised his head.

"Hello, class. As you can see I am a bit disoriented so I will be getting the help of my good friend to teach the class. Today we are covering dementors."

Professor Lupin looked around at the class.

"Most of you remember the year they brought dementors to Hogwarts. It was the year that Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. Azkaban is swarming with dementors. How did Sirius escape without getting caught? He's here to tell you today."

The class looked extremely interested.

Sirius didn't come out. Although, there was a mumble coming from Professor Lupins private quarters.

"Accio Sirius." said Professor Lupin said dryly.

There was a muffled shout and then Sirius came flying through the doorway.

"Remus! I was still getting ready!" Sirius shouted.

The class laughed because Sirius' hair was sticking up.

Remus ignored him and asked Sirius how he escaped Azkaban. So Sirius began his tale.

 **A/N- Hello Readers! Sorry, I haven't posted a chapter in forever! Although I did write a short one-shot called** ** _The Heart and Brain of Peter Pettigrew._** **Be sure to check it out! I know that this chapter wasn't much, but I promise to make the next chapter better!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	10. Chapter 12-Sirius' Tale

Sirius' eyes darkened and he faced the class. He looked everyone right in the eye. A few Ravenclaws broke his gaze, but most of the class looked very interested in what he had to say.

"What I am about to say must stay inside this classroom. It is classified information that no one can know about, understand?"

The students nodded their heads.

"Ok. Well, then it all started with a newspaper..."

 _-Fade into Story-_

A black dog sat in the corner of his prison cell. He heard footsteps. There was a popping noise and suddenly, where the dog once sat, there was a human. Sirius looked up through the bars of his cell to see who was coming. It was a bit of a disappointment when Cornelius Fudge walked towards his cell.

Fudge was looking at each prisoner with such fear, that Sirius snorted. Fudge's head snapped toward Sirus. The men glared at each other although Fudge's glare had more fear than anything else.

"Black," Fudge said coldly.

"Minister" replied Sirius. "Welcome to my home! What are you doing here this fine evening?"

Minister Fudge was surprised that Black still had his sanity.

"I have come to check on all the prisoners," Fudge said to Sirius.

Sirius noticed that Fudge was holding that morning's addition to the prophet.

As he was walking away, Sirius shouted out; "Hey Fudge! Can I have the prophet? I miss the crossword puzzles!"

Confused and slightly scared, Fudge threw the paper into Sirius' cell and walked away.

When Sirius looked at the front page of the paper, he gasped. On the front page was a picture of the Weasley family but he didn't really care about that. What he saw was their pet. A rat who Sirius recognized as Peter Pettigrew.

Sirius went through an array of emotions.

First, he laughed. His enemy was hiding out as a rat. A filthy pet rat. Then, he got angry. He snarled at the picture of his old friend. He had betrayed everyone yet he was still alive.

Finally, Sirius felt extremely determined to get out of Azkaban. He had to protect Harry! He had to get revenge on Peter!

That night, Sirius changed into his animagus form. He waited until the dementors had done their night-time torture session and then slid through the bars of his cell.

Once he was out, he changed into his human form. Almost all the prisoners were asleep or insane so he didn't have to worry about them making too much of a racket.

The only thing that he was worried about was running into the dementors.

They were done doing checking on the prisoners, but dementors never slept. They would still be roaming around trying to suck people's souls out.

Sirius crept out of the high-security ward without as problem. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked around him.

So far no dementors.

Sirius heard a sound from above. He turned and looked up. A dementor swooped down on him.

Sirius ran to the exit.

Whenever the dementors found something that was not supposed to be in Azkaban, they destroyed it. If a wizard who wasn't with a ministry official came in, they sucked his soul out. If an object came in, they threw it into the ocean. If anything alive came in, they cooked it and fed it to the prisoners.

Sirius had seen it happen.

He was determined to get out of there alive so, he put on an extra burst of speed and ran through the doors.

Dementors swooped down from their posts trying to keep the dog in the prison. They came from the corners, the walls, the ceiling even from the prisoners cells. By now all of the Azkaban prisoners had been woken by the racket the dementors were making.

As Sirius passed prison cells, people shouted;

"Ohhhhhh! Lunch"

"Gimme the fluffy doggy!"

"I'LL MURDER IT!"

Sirius ran passed them with the dementors following close behind. As he ran, he noticed a stack of wands. Sirius charged toward them with his hand out. He scanned the stack. There! Sirius spotted a wand box that looked like his but he couldn't be sure.

Sirius grabbed it and took the wand out of the box. There was a light at the end of the hallway.

Sirius squinted and covered his eyes with his arm. He hadn't seen daylight in 13 years. He ran out into the sun and smiled. He was free!

Then he remembered the dementors.

The dementors couldn't leave the island without ministry approval, so as soon as Sirius was out of the prison, he turned on the spot and apparated to muggle London.

Sirius realized he couldn't be seen here, so he changed into his animagus form and went out for revenge.

 _-Fade out of Story-_

"And that is how I escaped Azkaban," Sirius concluded.

The class was staring at Sirius in awe.

"Thank you for that thrilling story Sirius. Now does anyone know why I had Sirius tell you this?" Remus asked.

No one answered.

"It's so you know how to defend yourself from dementors. In the last war against Voldemort," A shiver ran through the classroom. "He got the dementors on his side. People were having their soul sucked out left and right. The only 2 ways to defend yourself is to use the patronus charm, which we will be talking about tomorrow, or the way Sirius did it. Sirius is an animagus. He is illegal so you can't tell anyone. Now turning into an animagus only stops the dementors from sucking your soul out. It will still make you relive your worst memories but the effect is a bit lesser. Patronus charms are the only way to completely fend off a dementor but, they don't work unless you use your happiest memory. That's your homework. Please think of your happiest memory and be prepared to use it tomorrow. Class Dismissed!" Professor Lupin announced.

Ginny walked out of the classroom and quickly hurried to the hospital wing.

Her classes for the day were over and she was now on Harry duty.

 _'How am I supposed to think of a happy memory when my boyfriend is sitting in the hospital wing?'_ Ginny thought to herself.

She sighed and sat down by Harry's bedside.

"Harry? I don't know if you can hear me but it's Ginny. I really miss you Harry. So does everyone else. We haven't even announced our relationship to the public! I was really looking forward to seeing peoples faces. Rita Skeeter would have a field day! Anyway, please wake up. I need my boyfriend back." Ginny said to Harry quietly.

She leaned down to kiss his forehead but Harry's head moved and she kissed him right on the lips.

Ginny jumped back. "Harry?" she asked.

With his eyes still closed, Harry said, "How could I resist becoming your official boyfriend?"

Ginny launched herself onto Harry and kissed him. Then Madame Pomfrey came in.

"Oh! Harry, you're awake!" She exclaimed. She hustled over to him. "Ginny get off my patient! He has serious injuries!"

Harry laughed. "Madame Pomfrey can't she stay in bed with me?"

Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips but nodded and walked away to tell everyone that Harry was awake.

Ginny yawned and curled up next to Harry.

"Long day?" asked Harry.

Ginny nodded.

"Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

Within moments, Ginny had fallen asleep and eventually Harry did too.

That's how everyone else found them. Curled up in each others arms with happy smiles on their faces.


	11. Chapter 13-Firewhiskey

Once Harry and Ginny woke up, they were greeted by Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sirius, Remus, Lily, James, Ron and Hermione. McGonagall left after she told Harry how happy she was that he was ok. Dumbledore left but told Harry that they would have to talk privately soon. Nobody missed the fact that there was no twinkle in his eye. Ron, Hermione and Ginny left after they realized that dinner was about to start. Ginny was hesitant to leave Harry, but he told her to go eat. Sirius, Remus, Lily and James decided to stay in the hospital wing with Harry for dinner.

"So Harry," said Lily. "Errr... How are things?"

Harry laughed lightly. "I'm sitting in a hospital bed and was just kidnapped. How do you think I am?"

When the other occupants of the room looked guilty, Harry changed the subject.

"I didn't mean to make you guys feel bad. Can we just talk about something else tonight? How about quidditch? I have been away for a week."

With that Sirius and James launched into a thorough description of each game. Lily had a small smile on her face but her eyes showed sadness as she looked at Harry. Harry smiled sadly at her before tuning in to what Sirius and James were saying.

After James and Sirius gave Harry the complete summary of all the games, Sirius decided that he needed some firewhiskey.

"I'll just go down to the three broomsticks! You want anything Prongs? Moony? Lilyflower?" Sirius asked.

"3 more firewhiskeys for us please" replied Lily.

Sirius left the castle and walked down into Hogsmeade.

The sun was just starting to set, so it wasn't too dark.

When Sirius made his way into the three broomsticks, he had to push through the crowds of reporters wanting an interview with him.

"Black! How's Harry Potter?"

"Black! How are you back from the dead?!"

"Black let us be the ones to report your revival!"

Sirius gritted his teeth and said "No comment."

Madame Rosmerta pushed the reporters out of the shop and closed the door before smiling at Sirius.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Black. What can I get you this evening?"

Sirius smiled "It's quite alright Rosemerta. Could I get a case of firewhiskey and a butterbeer?"

Sirius was walked towards a table while he waited for his order when he went crashing into a young lady.

The lady fell over because of her petite size and dropped all the papers she was carrying. She started to crawl around the floor grabbing the stray papers. Sirius got down as well and picked up the ones that he could reach.

"I'm so sorry! I was in such a rush I didn't look where I was going! I just started a new job and I don't have any money and I really need to find an apartment..." When she realized who she was talking to, she gasped and stood up quickly. "Oh my goodness! You're Sirius Black! I'm so sorry. I'm such a mess."

Sirius smiled and stood up. He studied the woman's face.

The woman didn't have a full English accent. It was like a mix of American and British. She looked like she could be a few years younger than him. She was wearing torn jean shorts and a golden halter top. Her long black hair was pulled up into a messy bun that sat atop her head. Her bright blue eyes stood out against her pale skin.

She looked up at him.

Blue eyes met gray.

When Sirius looked closer he realized that her eyes weren't only blue. There were mixes of purple and green in them as well.

They smiled at each other and Sirius realized in that moment that this girl was different.

"I really have to go but maybe we will see each other again?" the woman said.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. For sure!"

The woman smiled and turned to leave. Sirius snapped out of it.

"Wait! What's your name?"

She turned her head but didn't stop walking.

"Woods. Megan Woods."

Dazed Sirius collected his order and walked back to the castle.

 _'She's so...so..'_ Sirius couldn't find the words to describe her. She was unique but didn't stand out too much. Confident and shy at the same time.

When Sirius reached the hospital wing, Lily and Remus could tell that something had happened.

"What?" Sirius asked.

"Nothing but you look like something happened." said Remus.

"I meet a girl," Sirius replied. Then he opened a firewhiskey and took a drink. Remus, Lily, and James grabbed one too. Sirius went to hand Harry the butterbeer but found that his godson was already asleep.

"Poppy gave him a sleeping potion. He didn't want to take it but she said that if he wanted to leave the hospital wing tomorrow then he would have to drink it."

Sirius nodded and started to wrestle with James. Eventually, Remus got pulled into it and Lily tried to get them to settle down before they woke Harry up.

Eventually, after Lily hexed James several times because he was being immature, the group fell asleep.

 **A/N- Yay! I added my first OC into the story which I am very excited about. I hope you enjoy her as much as I do! She probably won't come up again for a few chapters but we'll see. I also decided that I shouldn't keep you guys waited for who knows how long for a chapter to be up so, now when I post I will write the date of when the next chapter will be published.**

 **Next chapter will be up- Thursday, May 19 2016**


	12. Chapter 14-Meeting with Dumbledore

The next morning, Harry woke up feeling great. Madame Pomfrey checked him over and, after much begging and pleading from Harry, let Harry go to breakfast.

"Remember to take your potions!" called Madame Pomfrey as Harry left the hospital wing.

Harry made his way to the Great Hall without much difficulty. When he got there, he peeked in and saw Dumbledore looking at the students. Harry could have sworn that Dumbledore winked at him but he couldn't be sure because Dumbledore started talking.

"Students! Today I share the joyous news that Harry Potter is alive and safe in the castle!' He paused to let the cheers quiet down. "Yes, Yes I know you are all very happy but please let me finish! It seems that Harry even decided to join us today."

Harry walked in from his hiding place. He still had cuts on his arms and bruises all over his body. His hair was messier than usual and he had a slight limp.

The whole great hall stared at him in silence as he made his way over to the Gryffindor table. When he sat down next to Ron and Hermione, the hall was still silent. When Ron noticed this, he stood up and yelled;

"Ok! You can go back to breakfast now!"

The hall looked embarrassed and quickly started talking again. There were a few people that snuck glances at Harry every now and then but for the most part, the popularity was manageable.

"Hey, Harry! I just wanted to let you know that I hope you're ok. I don't mean to annoy you but if you need anything just let us know ok?" Dean Thomas said gesturing to Neville, Seamus and himself.

Harry nodded and started talking to Ron and Hermione. Ginny had not yet made an appearance at the breakfast table.

"Do you guys know where Ginny is? I haven't seen her today." Harry said.

"I haven't either," Hermione remarked.

The trio finished their breakfast by keeping up the casual conversation until Harry remembered that he had to take his potions. He got them out of his bag and drank them, making faces as the disgusting potion made it's way down his throat. Ron laughed and Harry glared at him. As soon as he glared, Harry felt the potions working. He felt the bruises fade away and his ankle suddenly felt better. His cuts even lessened and stopped bleeding.

Then, James came into the hall and walked up next to Harry.

"Dumbledore requests to see you in his office after breakfast." The look on James' face told Harry exactly what they would be talking about.

After breakfast, Harry made his way up to Dumbledore's office. He raised his hand to knock but the door swung open and Harry stumbled in. Professor Dumbledore smiled and offered Harry a lemon drop. Harry declined and sat in the chair opposite Dumbledore. That's when Harry noticed the other two occupants of the room. It was his mom and dad.

"We will be taking a look at your memories today if that's okay with you, Harry," Dumbledore said .

Harry nodded and asked how they were going to take his memories. To answer his question, Dumbledore pressed his wand to Harry's temple and slowly pulled a strand of silver from Harry's head. Harry stared at it amazed.

"We are going to into the pensieve to view your memories, Harry. Do you wish to come in with us?" James asked.

Harry considered for a moment, then nodded his head and joined his family near the swirling bowl of mist.

They dunked their heads in and watched as Harry was beaten and tortured. His mom had tears running down her face as she watched her only son gasp in pain and hold in his screams.

When they were done watching, Dumbledore's eyes had darkened significantly and Harry's parents were saddened.

Lily, James, and Harry were leaving Dumbledore's office when they heard him shout. They hurried back inside to see Dumbledore looking at a strange alarm object that was going off. It was spinning and lighting up red.

"Someone has tried to break through the wards at Privet Drive," Dumbledore explained.

Lily and James shared a look. The death eaters had said that they would be back for the Dursleys. Just then, another object started lighting up and spinning. This one was yellow.

"There has been an attack," Dumbledore said. He touched the object and a hologram was brought up above the object. It showed chaos as death eaters swarmed a factory and killed anyone who wasn't fast enough to get out of the factory was Grunnings.

Dumbledore and Harry were the only ones who knew what that meant.

"They've gone after Mr. Dursley at his job, We must send out troops immediately!" Dumbledore said. He looked at Fawkes and they exchanged a stare. Then Fawkes flew off and went to contact members of the Order.

Lily, who was white with fear for her sister's family, asked if they could go. Dumbledore nodded. Harry turned to look at his parents before they left the room.

"Can I go with you?" he asked quietly.

James and Lily looked at each other. This was a big mission. They didn't want Harry to get hurt or kidnapped again but they also knew that he knew how to defend himself. Harry looked at them pleadingly.

"Please, I can't go to classes anyway! I promise to stay close to you!"

Lily was asking her head as James nodded. Lily looked at Harry once more before giving in and nodding doubtfully. Harry smiled and ran towards his parents.

Together, they ran down the halls ignoring the whispers and concerned looks from students. Harry ran into Gryffindor common room and looked frantically for Ron and Hermione. When he found them he ran over and quickly informed them of the situation. Hermione looked like she wanted to object but she knew that Harry wouldn't listen. If he set his mind to something, it happened. Instead, she and Ron wished him luck and reluctantly let him leave.

Harry met his parents in the front of the school.

"I'm going to go to Vernon's work. Lily and Harry you're going to side along apparate to Privet drive. Order members are making their way to both attacks as we speak. Stay safe and meet back at HQ. Got it?" James said quickly. Lily and Harry nodded. The family ran down the path to Hogsmeade and as soon as they crossed over the protective boundaries, they apparated into battle.

 **A/N- I got it up! I did it! I know that it's late, but for a while I didn't think it was going to happen! Of course, the week I was going to dedicate to writing is ruined by the homework my teacher's assign. They just had to assign it this week! It's ok it'll all be over soon! I am currently studying for finals so I am super busy but that won't stop me from updating! If you do like this story, please be sure to give it a review!**

 **Next Update will be on or before Sunday, May 29th**


	13. Chapter 15-Battle on Privet Drive

As soon as his feet touched the ground Harry knew that this was a serious attack. Death eaters swarmed the whole street as muggles ran for their lives. The Order was trying to defend the muggles but they were heavily outnumbered by the death eaters.

Harry and Lily immediately made their way to Kingsley who was throwing spells at a group of death eaters who were torturing muggles. Harry started battling a masked death eater. He hit him with a stinging jinx and then followed up with an expelliarmus. Then Harry used a binding hex to make sure he stayed secure. He lifted his head up just in time to see a white spell jet passed his head and hit another death eater. He quickly disarmed the castor and bound him up. That's when Harry saw number 4 Privet Drive.

10 death eaters were swarmed around the entrance were firing spells only to have them blocked by an invisible source. Then, Harry saw Bellatrix Lestrange cast a curse and the shields fell. She laughed maniacally and blasted the door open. Harry heard his aunts terrified shrieks. Harry looked around him.

He noticed Remus and Sirius battling back to back. He saw Tonks duck just in time to dodge killing curse.

He had been so caught up in the scene that he hadn't even noticed the death eater that snuck up on him. Harry cast a quick curse that sent the death eater falling to the ground. Then Harry noticed his mom.

She was battling like he had never seen before. She was flexible and athletic which allowed her to dodge curses easily. Harry was reminded of Ginny as her red hair whipped across her face and her eyes were filled with rage as they focused upon her target. They met eyes for just a second. Lily's eyes showed that she saw what happened to the Dursley's.

They were filled with regret, sadness and a plea for help, but at the same time, they pleaded Harry to stay with her. Harry looked between her and the Dursleys house. With one last regretful look at his mother, Harry took off towards number 4 Privet Drive.

As Harry got closer, he heard his name being called out by Order members and he saw death eaters chasing him and shooting curses in his direction. Harry just kept running. He could feel his blood pumping in his veins and he could hear the world fading away. All he heard was the faint pumping of his heart and the laugh of Bellatrix as he ran into the Dursley's home.

He navigated through the familiar hallways of his old home and made his way to Dudley's bedroom. He saw his cousin getting tortured and cut with Bellatrix's dagger. Harry shot a disarming curse in her direction. Of course, since he couldn't cast spells silently, Bellatrix heard and turned around.

Her eyes bugged out of her head and she gave him a stunned look.

"You're not done yet huh? Little baby Harry, come to save his family." she mocked in a baby voice. Then she laughed and smirked at him.

At this point, Dudley looked up and saw Harry. He looked up at Harry like he was the best thing in the world which at the moment he was.

Harry snarled at Bellatrix and sent a leg-locking curse her way. She dodged and sent a few crucios at him. The battle soon got intense. More death eaters swarmed into the room. Harry was sending curses at them all. He ducked, jumped and flipped to avoid getting hit. Harry slid next to his cousin and threw up a protection shield just in time to save Dudley from a killing curse. Although the shield quickly dissolved because of the power of the curse.

Harry was sending a disarming spell at a death eater when he heard the familiar voices of Sirius and Remus. Harry was extremely relieved. As soon as he took a death eater down, another one seemed to show up. Harry called out to the and he heard urgent footsteps. Sirius entered the room and went back to back with Harry. Together they fought the circle of death eaters that had formed around them.

"Where's Remus?" Harry shouted over the noise of the attack.

"He went to Petunia!"

Harry had forgotten about Petunia. Harry knew that his aunt hated him but they were family. Harry didn't want anyone to die at the hands of death eaters. Harry thought that everyone deserved a second chance.

When Harry looked around at the death eaters, he noticed that Bellatrix was no longer in the room. He did see a few death eaters that he had seen in the department of mysteries and in the graveyard.

Harry heard more footsteps running up the stairs and saw Tonks, Lily, Emmeline Vance running through the hallway. Lily saw Harry and ran into the room looking furious and relieved at the same time.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Lily screamed while shooting spells at the death eaters. "I thought I made it clear that you were to stay with me the whole time! I knew that this was a bad idea! Your father will know about this!" She continued screaming as she fought the death eaters. "Get you and your cousin under a shield and go to Ms. Figgs house! You are going back to headquarters!"

Harry opened his mouth to argue, to tell her that he could help but he was silenced by Lily's glare. Harry shot a glare right back at her and flicked his wand to put him and his cousin under the shield.

Dudley stumbled and stood, walking quickly to keep pace with Harry.

Once they were outside, Harry scanned the scene. He grabbed Dudley's beefy hand and took off running. As he ran Dudley tripped and broke the shield.

Harry muttered a curse word and dodged the spell that someone threw at him. Harry decided that he his cousin was slowing him down so he levitated him and ran. Dudley gave a squawk of protest but was silenced as he watched Harry dodge the hexes that death eaters cast.

Once at Ms. Figgs house, Harry lowered Dudley to the ground and ran inside. He slammed and locked the door behind him and called out to Ms. Figg.

"Harry? Is that you?" asked an elderly voice.

"It's me, Ms. Figg! My mom asked to send me to headquarters."

Ms. Figg came down the stairs holding a tabby cat that Harry recognized as McGonagail. She leaped from Ms. Figgs arms and transformed into her human form the second she touched the ground. Dudley squeaked and tried to hide behind Harry.

McGonagail saw this and raised an eyebrow. She dismissed this and straightened out her robes before turning to Harry.

"You know how to floo I presume? Just yell 'Headquarters' and you will arrive there."

Harry nodded. "Dudley doesn't know how to floo though." Harry looked at his cousin. "And he certainly won't fit with me."

McGonagail seemed to realize this too.

"Well, make the most of it because he can't go by himself. I will go right after to ensure that you get there but I will have to leave directly afterward. I have classes to teach you know."

Harry nodded and walked over to the fireplace. He looked back and noticed that his cousin wasn't following him.

"Come on Dud, we're going to meet everyone at headquarters."

"What about mom and dad?" asked Dudley quietly.

Harry froze for a second.

"They'll meet us there too," Harry said. _'If they're alive'_ he added mentally.

Dudley walked over to where Harry was getting himself into the fireplace.

"Umm... Potter? Why are you sitting in a fireplace?"

Harry smiled. "This is our way out of here. Now come and sit in front of me if you can."

Dudley awkwardly sat down in front of Harry and squeezed his legs into his chest to fit inside. Professor McGonagail handed Harry a pinch of floo powder which he threw into the ashes of Ms. Figgs fireplace.

"Headquarters!"

Harry and Dudley disappeared in a swirl of color just as death eaters crashed through the door of Ms. Figgs house.

 **A/N- Hello! Thank you to everyone who waited for this chapter. I have decided to update every Friday so it's easier to remember and plan. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and sorry for all the changes in my updating schedule!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	14. Chapter 16- Vernon Dursley

Near Vernon Dursleys workplace-

James blocked another curse as he ran into the office building.

He immediately was overwhelmed by the dead bodies that were laid everywhere. There were death eaters, muggles and one body that he recognized from the Order meetings.

James hurried up a flight of stairs and peeked around the wall. He saw a few Order members so he went to the next floor. There were fewer people but they were holding up ok so he proceeded to the last floor.

There were death eaters everywhere but only 2 Order members. James joined the fight and noticed some muggles hiding in a cubicle with a death eater standing above them. James ran over and stunned the death eater as he raised his wand. James then created a portkey to the ministry's memory modification office and gave it to them.

He waited until it disappeared then ran towards a private office a death eater had entered.

Once he was there he recognized the man that was in the office. He was older than he remembered him but looked mostly the same. He was a very large man with blue watery eyes and a reddish-purple face. He had large beefy hands and a bushy mustache. His hair was a light brown but had lots of gray streaks in it. It was Vernon Dursley.

James hurried over and put a shield up just in time to avoid getting hit by a cruciatus curse. Vernon looked up and saw James. His face passed through a variety of colors. First white, then red, then purple and it faded out to a pink.

"YOU! You're DEAD! Is this because of your freaky-ness? Did you lot learn to defy death? Why are you lot here?! I never asked for this life! In fact, I wish your FREAK son was never left on my doorstep!" Vernon quickly paled as he realized that James was angry.

James quickly disarmed the death eater and bound him. Then he turned to face Vernon.

"Lily and I came back because Harry needed us. You wouldn't know the meaning of that would you Dursley? You never loved your son. Now, please let me do my job." James said in an eerily calm voice.

James grabbed his hand and turned to face the door but found it was being blocked by death eaters. Including Peter Pettigrew.

James' face twisted into a snarl and he shot a curse at Peter. Peter laughed and shot a killing curse right back at him. James ducked just in time to avoid it but Vernon didn't. His face showed shock as the green beam hit him just below the chin. His eyes bulged and he grabbed at the spot where the curse hit him. Then he fell down, dead.

James wasted no time. He grabbed a death eater and threw him out of the window. He yelled out for backup but none came.

Then, "James! James! Prongs!"

"Padfoot! Help!"

Sirius battled his way through death eaters to reach his friend. They smiled at each other and continued to fight.

"I thought you were with Harry!"

"I was but he was sent home with Dudley. Have you found Vernon?"

"Look behind you! Also, how did you get here so fast?"

Sirius glanced back and looked disgusted by the body.

"I was sent here once things calmed down at Privet Drive. I was on the first floor when I saw a body being thrown out the window. No one thought anyone else was in the building but I raced in and heard your request for backup."

James was about to say something else but someone interrupted him.

"Well, look what we have here. My old friends! Almost all of us together again! I would love to spend some time catching up but, I have more important things to do." Peter said as he stepped in front of the death eaters.

Sirius and James snarled. "Peter!"

Sirius shot a spell at Peter but Peter disapparated. The rest of the death eaters followed leaving an angry Sirius and James alone.

The friends shrugged and apparated to headquarters.

"James! You're home!" Lily exclaimed as her husband entered the house. James went to hug her but thought otherwise when his wife's face turned as red as her hair.

"Talk to your son! I can't believe you let him duel when he was just captured by death eaters! He ran off when I told him to stay by me at all times!" Lily screamed.

Harry walked down the stairs at that moment. He smiled sheepishly.

"I did it for a good reason?" Harry said.

Lily was about to scream at Harry but James stopped her and went to Harry.

"Come on Harry, let's go upstairs. Your mom needs to talk to Padfoot anyway." James said as he guided Harry up the stairs.

Sirius walked in and pulled Lily into the drawing room. Lily took a deep breath and smiled at Sirius.

"Where's Vernon?" she asked sweetly.

Sirius looked down.

"Sirius?" Lily asked looking sad and confused.

"Peter killed him," Sirius said sadly.

Lily suddenly burst into tears. Sirius moved to hug her but he was extremely confused. Lily didn't even like this man!

"Lily why are you crying? He was just a Dursley."

"My sister loved him. She's going to be heart broken. Dudley! Dudley is going to have to grow up without his dad!" Lily said.

Sirius nodded and hugged Lily until James came back. He walked in and turned to close the door.

"Lily, me and Harry talked and we agreed to give him a warning this time although he did get pretty mad at me telling him what to do... Why are you crying?" James asked bewildered.

"I told her about Vernon. She's just sad for Petunia and Dudley."

James nodded and took Sirius' place to comfort his wife

"Hey, Lily look on the bright side. You still have your sister, Dudley and Harry. Maybe Harry and Dudley could be real cousins now."

Lily smiled despite still being sad.

"You're right and I still have you."

 **A/N- Hi guys! I know I said I would update last Friday but that didn't happen. I am now done with school and will have a lot more time to give to writing. Next chapter will be up next Friday!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	15. Chapter 17-Sisters and Cousins

Upstairs in Dudley's room-

Dudley sat on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

He had almost died.

Some crazy freaks had come to his house to kill him and his family. He didn't know where his father was or if he was even alive. Although, his mom was ok.

Dudley sighed.

Then he thought of his cousin. His cousin's world was more complex than he had ever imagined. Harry saved lives and battled crazy killers. His dead aunt was actually alive and there was a war going on that no one in his world even knew about.

Dudley's mind drifted to his parents. They had always told him that all magic was bad. His cousin was evil and would only cause him harm but when had Harry ever harmed Dudley? Dudley was more of a danger to his cousin than Harry was to him. Were his parents right? Right now it seemed as if his whole life had been a lie.

His parents never told him that his cousin was a wizard. His parents told him he was a perfectly healthy weight which even he knew was not true. He grew up knowing that wizards and magic are bad but is that really true?

His cousin had saved him but another wizard had tried to kill him.

Dudley was awoken from his thoughts by a knock on the door.

Lily came in and smiled sadly at him.

"How are you doing Dudley?" Lily asked him.

Dudley shrugged and looked at them as if to say 'how do you think I'm doing?'.

Lily looked at him sadly and took a deep breath.

"Dudley, I know this won't be easy but you have your mom, your uncle, your cousin and I will always be there for you."

Dudley looked up, confused.

Lily took one more deep breath and broke the news.

"Dudley, your dad died in the fight against the death eaters."

Dudley's head snapped up. His eyes met Lily's and pleaded her to tell him it wasn't true. Lily had tears in her eyes as she watched Dudley's face go from confused to heartbroken.

Lily knew that Dudley needed to be alone so she left the room quietly to go visit Petunia. Lily crossed the hall and opened the door to Petunia's room. Petunia was sitting in her bed still looking shocked from her near death encounter. Tears slid down her face as she Lily sat down at the end of the bed and looked at her older sister.

Petunia looked down at her and scooted farther up the bed.

"Get away from me, Freak! I don't know who you are but you aren't my sister. My sister died 16 years ago!" Petunia suddenly started sobbing and Lily was by her side in a second. She stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth as Petunia had done for her when they were kids.

Petunia looked up and said; "Lily?"

Lily smiled and cried softly.

"How?" Petunia asked.

"Fate decided to give me another chance," Lily responded.

"Could I have another chance?" Petunia asked while wiping her tears away.

Lily nodded and both sisters burst into loud happy tears and smiled.

"I'm so sorry Lily! I shouldn't have said those things as a kid! By the time I realized the damage I had done it was too late!" Petunia said. She hung her head and waited for Lily to respond.

"I know. I forgive you Petunia. I forgave you long ago."

The sisters hugged and walked down to Dudley's room holding hands.

Dudley looked up at his mom. When he saw how Lily and Petunia had repaired their relationship, he smiled and thought of him and Harry. Their story was very similar to Lily and Petunias. Dudley suddenly stood and ran, or waddled, to his aunt and asked where Harry was. Lily smiled knowingly and pointed him to Harry's room.

Dudley knocked on the door.

"Come in," Harry responded.

Dudley walked in and looked around.

Harrys room was larger than his and had a lot more character. There were pictures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione hanging on the walls accompanied by moving quidditch posters. There were newspaper clippings covering a whole wall and a picture of the marauders at Hogwarts.

Harry sat on his red and gold bed reading a textbook. Harry looked up and looked slightly confused as to why Dudley was in his room.

"Hi Dudley," Harry said.

Dudley smiled and walked closer. "Hi Harry, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything I did as a kid. I saw that mom and Aunt Lily made up," Harry's head snapped up "and I just don't want to be like that. It took them 26 years to finally talk to each other again. I see now that my view on magic was wrong and I really hope we can at least be friends."

Dudley held out his hand for Harry to shake.

"Dud, I don't think I will ever forget what you did to me as a child but, you have to start a new life anyway and this might be the perfect way to change. You can't go back to Privet Drive because there is too much danger. So, I will forgive you but remember one thing," Dudley looked at him and nodded. "We're cousins not just friends."

 **A/N- Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know my author's notes are usually short, but today I wanted to include a dedication.**

 **I dedicate this chapter to Christina Grimmie. Who was shot and killed recently during a meet and greet with her fans. She was an amazing singer who was taken from this world far too early. May she rest in peace and I send my condolences to her friends, family, and fans.**

 **-Marauderette24**


	16. Chapter 18-Back to Hogwarts

Harry shook Dudley's hand and smiled.

Dudley rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I don't suppose you could fill me in on this whole magic thing could you?"

Harry smiled. "Of course but, I have to go back to Hogwarts soon so I can only give you a brief statement for now. Although I could write to you."

Dudley smiled and nodded.

"Well, what do you want to know?" Harry asked.

"Errrr... Let's start with you. I know you think that no one noticed but you always came home with cuts and bruises. What happened?"

Harry smiled and laughed.

"That's an easy one. Basically, the wizard that killed my parents failed to kill me so now he wants revenge. All those cuts or bruises were results of his attempts to kill me."

Dudley looked at his cousin like he was crazy. He was laughing about someone trying to kill him. Then Dudley looked at him in pity.

"Dudley, it's fine. I've gotten used to it. I'm just not normal." Harry said with his smile faltering a bit.

"So wait. This evil wizard dude tried to kill you but couldn't. Why?"

"Well, my mom gave her life to protect me. Love is the most powerful force in the universe. Remember that Dudley."

Dudley nodded in silence. Then laughed. Harry smiled. "What?"

"So basically you're an idiot who can't die?"

Harry laughed. "I wish the press would use that as my nickname. It's the truth."

Dudley looked confused. "The press?"

"Well yeah. I am 'the savior of the wizarding world'. They tend to make me out as a hero and they seem to think that the best way to do that is making a name that sounds very... hero-like and special. So far all they've come up with is the 'boy-who-lived' or the 'chosen one.' I like yours a lot better."

"Wait you're, like, famous?"

Harry laughed bitterly. "Yep, one of the most famous in the wizarding world. Everyone tries to make me out as a hero but really I just want a normal life."

Dudley stared at his cousin awestruck. "You never told us you were famous!"

"I didn't think you cared."

Dudley smiled. "Could you tell me more about yourself?"

"Of course! I guess I could tell you about my first few years at Hogwarts. That's when my life really started,"

"Harry!" Lily yelled. "Professor Dumbledore is here to speak with you and bring you back to Hogwarts!"

"Coming!" Harry yelled.

He smiled apologetically at Dudley.

"I'll write from Hogwarts and maybe you can come and visit sometime."

"Ok. I'm going to go see mom. Bye Harry!"

Harry ran down the stairs and into the dining room. His parents were sitting with Dumbledore at the table.

Dumbledore smiled at him.

"Hello, Harry. I talked to your parents and I just wanted to invite you to have a few lessons from me. It's your decision but I think it might be useful later on in the war."

Harry nodded immediately.

"Harry are you sure," Lily started. She didn't want her child to have a part in the war. She wanted him to have a childhood.

"Mom, I know you're trying to look out for me but I'm 16. I can handle it."

Lily nodded and scooted closer to James. Dumbledore nodded as well and walked over to the fireplace.

"Ok, Harry. To get back to Hogwarts, just yell, 'Headmasters office'"

Harry stepped forward and with one last wave at his parents, he disappeared into the flames.

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace and fell onto the floor.

Fawkes flew off of his perch and landed on Harry's shoulder. Harry gently stroked the birds feathers. Dumbledore stepped out of the fireplace and smiled at Harry.

"Your friends are awaiting you in your common room. You have been excused from your lessons today but will report to class tomorrow. Your first lesson with me will be tomorrow at 7:00 pm." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

Harry smiled and walked out the door and down the stairs to go to Gryffindor common room.

As Harry walked down the hallways, he noticed two unfamiliar girls near the room of requirement. There was no door there and they were just circling that part of the hallway. When he looked over, the two girls started whispering together.

Harry shrugged. He was used to that reaction. He continued on his way to the common room and went through the portrait hole. He was immediately engulfed by a mass of bushy hair.

"Harry! You're ok!" Hermione said.

Harry laughed and hugged her.

"Of course, I'm ok Hermione!" He looked cautiously around the room but luckily no one else was there except or a few girls heading up to their dorm room.

"I've battled death eaters before you know."

Hermione stepped back and looked at Harry closely. She scrunched her eyebrows.

"Something happened." she said while still looking at his face.

Harry ducked his head. "This was a crazy battle. There were two attacks at the same time so the Order wasn't enough. Privet Drive is a disaster area and houses are wrecked. A quarter of the employees at Grunnings have died."

"What happened to your aunt and uncle?"

Harry sighed and rubbed his neck.

"Aunt Petunia and Dudley are fine. I took on the death eaters that were attacking them. My uncle, my uncle is dead."

Hermione's hand flew to her mouth and she gasped.

Ron and Ginny walked in through the portrait hole and saw Harry. Ginny walked up to Harry and gave him a peck on the cheek. Harry smiled lightly and snaked his hand around her waist to pull her closer.

Ron gagged and turned to face Hermione.

"What's up? You look like someone died." Ron said.

"Someone did die."

Ginny whirled around to face Hermione with her red hair flying out behind her reminding Harry of his mother in battle.

"Ginny remember how we told you Harry had gone to help the Order this morning?" Hermione said.

Ginny nodded.

"Well," Hermione started.

"My uncle died." Harry finished.

"He deserved it!" Ron shouted.

"Ron!" yelled Hermione and Ginny.

Harry smiled at his friend.

"It's ok. I don't really care. I just feel bad that it's all because of me."

"It's not your fault Harry. Oh! I almost forgot! Right after you left, the Daily Prophet owls came to deliver the Prophet. You and your family and featured in it." Hermione said.

"It's nothing too bad. They still don't know about our relationship which is surprising." Ginny said.

Harry nodded and sat down on the couch.

'Well, here's a perfect example of fame for Dudley' Harry thought to himself.

 **A/N- Hi everyone! Thanks for reading and hope you liked this chapter. Please review!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	17. Chapter 19- Letters

_**THE FAMILY WHO LIVED!**_

 _If you have children enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, then you know that Albus Dumbledore recently announced the revival and innocence of Lily and James Potter and Sirius Black. I have confirmed that this claim is indeed true. So now the wizarding world has a whole family who has miraculously stayed alive through extreme circumstances. Will there be any new additions to the family soon?_

 _The family recently participated in a battle against death eaters and came out victorious. Unfortunately, Vernon Dursley, Harry Potters uncle, was killed by death eaters in his workplace. Harry Potters cousin and aunt seem to be missing._

 _Another detail on this battle seems to have arisen. No aurors participated in the battle on ministry orders. There were a few aurors present in the battle but they weren't sent by the minister or head auror._

 _In the last war, there were lots of rumors going around about a group that was trained to stop the death eaters. Most people said that the group is called the Order of the Phoenix. No one has ever been confirmed as a member but we can't help but wonder, is this evidence that there is an Order?_

 _Reported by Megan Woods_

* * *

Dudley looked at the paper in shock and amazement.

He reread the note Harry had sent along with the paper.

 _Dear Dudley,_

 _Hope this is enough to prepare you for the reporters that will swarm you._

 _-Harry_

So he was now part of a famous family. How in the world did reporters get this information so fast? He was about to see his aunt and uncle's reactions but instead turned to look at the stairs where Sirius was jumping up and down, grinning.

Sirius tripped and tumbled down the stairs and right into James.

"Woah Padfoot! What's the rush?" James asked.

"It's her!" Sirius exclaimed

"What?" James said while leading his crazy friend to the kitchen.

"It's her! The girl that wrote the article about us is the girl I met while I was getting firewhiskey! Her picture is right next to her name!"

"You were drinking firewhiskey?" Lily yelled from the kitchen.

"Only that one time when Harry was in the hospital wing Lily!" Sirius said in his defense.

"Well, I guess I can excuse that," Lily said while going back to cooking breakfast.

"I only just remembered her because of the stuff we've been doing but I remember thinking that there was something different with this girl... I think I'm going to write to her."

"Sirius wait," James said while looking at the ground and running a hand through his hair. "Do you really think that it's a good idea get involved with a reporter? I mean you are a part of the most famous family in magical Britain."

Sirius looked at James as if he was crazy.

"Yes James I have thought of that and I will treat her like any other girl." Sirius said determinedly.

James shrugged and walked into the kitchen. Sirius shrugged and went the opposite direction to the stairs.

 _Dear Megan,_

 _I don't even know if you remembered me, who am I kidding of course you remember! I'm Sirius Black and we met when I went to the three broomsticks. I didn't even think that we would ever meet again but when I saw your picture in the Prophet, I had to write. Something about you really knocked me off my feet, literally. Maybe we could meet up sometime?_

 _-Sirius_

* * *

In the ministry of magic, a young woman with bright blue eyes smiled as she read a letter that had just come in. She sat up straighter in her chair and got out her quill to write a response.

* * *

Harry and Hermione walked down the hallways of Hogwarts to get to Potions. Ron was running late because he hadn't finished his homework. Harry was taking the long route because he was a few minutes early and he didn't want to get points taken off. Hermione had gone the normal way because she was afraid she would be late.

As Harry walked down the dungeon pathways, he heard urgent voices talking in the hallway next to him. He pressed himself against the wall and took a peek around the corner.

"That's the best you can do! The dark lord wants this done as soon as possible. A poisoned piece of jewelry won't fool anyone!" said Snape

Harry was mildly surprised to hear Snape say that. Sure Harry knew that Snape was evil but he didn't expect him to be helping death eaters in Hogwarts. Harry was more than a little surprised to hear the second voice.

"Professor, I can do this alone. I don't need your advice," said Draco Malfoy.

"Incase you don't know, if I don't help you, I will die."

"Well, then I guess you better go dig your grave."

The sounds of footsteps echoed in the dungeon before there was silence.

Harry cautiously turned the corner and disappeared into a secret passageway. He quickly walked into potions just before professor Snape came into the classroom. The professor looked around the classroom with his eyes lingering on Malfoy for longer than average.

That night Harry wrote a letter home.

 _Dear mom and dad. Oh yeah and Sirius,_

 _I know you want me to have a relaxing year and not deal with Voldemort but I have reason to believe Malfoy and Snape are death eaters. I know it's hard to believe but please at least think about the possibility._

 _-Harry_

 **A/N- Hi guys! There are just a few things that I wanted to clarify in this chapter.**

 **First, In the Harry Potter books, I can't remember if they ever made the Order public. Sure they tried recruiting people in book five but other than those select people who were asked to join, did anyone else know? In my story, they didn't the Order was a secret society that everyone heard myths about but no one had ever had proof to show that it was real.**

 **Second, I know that I have been making each chapter cover about a day. I will probably expand the time range in which each chapter takes place. I am going to make this story about 30-40 chapters long because it covers all of Harrys 6th year. Although, there is no need for you to fear because I will be making a sequel to cover Harrys 7th year and then I have another story in mind to pose as an epilogue of sorts.**


	18. Chapter 20- Black Ribbons

**September 9th**

 _Dear Harry,_

 _All I can say is that if Dumbledore trusts them then we have no reason to not trust them. Dumbledore knows everything that goes on in this school. I doubt that he would let a death eater into his school._

 _Anyway good luck with the press in Hogsmeade, they have been swarming the town waiting for you. Have fun in school._

 _Love,_

 _Mom and Dad_

Harry read the letter his parents had sent him and sighed. Maybe he could talk to Dumbledore about it at their next meeting.

Lily carried breakfast to her sister who was still bedridden.

Petunia did not seem to be making a recovery. If anything she was getting worse. She still fidgeted and cried at odd moments for no apparent reason. She would clutch her sheets in fright and was often unresponsive to people. Lily worried about her well being. It was a shock to be attacked and lose your husband before being transferred into a world where nothing made sense to you.

"Tuney?" Lily asked as she opened the door to her sister's room.

Petunia looked up and stared at Lily. She was pale and looked as if she might break at the slightest touch. Lily walked in and sat down on the end of the bed. Petunia flinched when Lily brought the breakfast tray closer to her.

"Dudley," Petunia whispered.

"Do you want me to bring Dudley in here?" Lily asked.

When Petunia nodded, Lily stepped out to call Dudley. A few minutes later, Dudley came out of Petunias room with a small smile on his face. Lily went back into Petunias room to collect her breakfast tray.

"Lily, you must take care of Dudley," Petunia told her.

Lily scrunched her eyebrows and walked closer to Petunia.

"Tuney there will be no need for that, he has you."

Petunia smiled sadly at Lily and broke into a coughing fit. Lily immediately propped up her pillows. When Petunia stopped coughing, she looked at Lily again.

"Lily, I can't make it in this world. I have lost too much, I need to move on with Vernon."

Lily shook her head as tears gathered in her eyes.

"Petunia! You can't leave! I can help you!"

Petunia smiled at Lily again.

"I'm so glad we made up."

Lily smiled through her tears.

"So am I."

"You must promise me one thing," Petunia whispered.

"Anything," Lily whispered back.

"Promise me you won't treat Dudley as I treated Harry," Petunia said as her eyes began to close.

"I promise" Lily replied as Petunia took her last breath.

Lily sobbed as she hugged her dead sister. Dudley came in and walked towards Petunia with a knowing look on his face. Lily took one look at Dudley and knew that he had been expecting this. She got up and hugged him. Lily then left the room and went to find James. Dudley lovingly stroked his mother's hair before leaving the room.

* * *

 **September 10th**

Harry walked out of Gryffindor common room with Hermione and Ron by his side.

The trio walked into the great hall as the owls started streaming in to deliver mail. All of a sudden, a few Ravenclaws and Hermione gasped and pointed to a large barn owl that was carrying a piece of parchment with a black ribbon tied around it. The Ravenclaws started whispering urgently to one another and looking around the room. Ron and Harry turned to Hermione for answers.

"Hermione? What's the pointing about?" asked Ron.

The other Gryffindors who were close by leaned in to hear what Hermione said.

"Honestly doesn't anyone read Hogwarts a History? If a letter has a black ribbon, it is delivering news of a death." Hermione explained.

The Gryffindors looked up at the owl carrying the black ribbon with dread in their eyes. Some of them were explaining to their neighbors what the black ribbon meant. Soon everyone in the hall was looking up at the owl and waiting to see where it went.

The owl flew towards the Gryffindor table and everyone sucked in a breath of air. Some of the younger kids scooted back to get away from the letter. The letter landed right in the middle of Gryffindor table. Hermione stood up to grab the letter.

She gingerly unwrapped the ribbon and opened the parchment. She frowned and looked up at the dread filled faces of her classmates. She looked at the ground and turned to hand it to the unlucky person who received the letter.

"I'm so sorry Harry," Hermione said as she handed the letter to Harry.

Everyone was looking at Harry with pity, sadness, and curiosity in their eyes.

Harry got up and walked out of the great hall with the letter and ribbon in his hands. He walked down the halls of Hogwarts with terrible thoughts in his head.

'What if it's mom or dad?' Then when he got that out of his head he thought of Sirius and Remus. Harry was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that he had reached his destination.

Harry tickled the pear and entered the kitchens where he was greeted by house elves. One of them stepped in front and hugged Harry's legs.

"Mr. Harry Potter sir! It is such an honor to serve you! What can Dobby get for you!" Dobby asked.

Harry smiled weakly. "A treacle tart would be nice Dobby."

Dobby nodded and disappeared with a pop. He reappeared a second later holding a treacle tart and a glass of water. Harry thanked Dobby and sat down at a table.

He slowly opened the parchment to read the dreaded death note.

 _Dearest Harry,_

 _I'm so sorry to say that Petunia died yesterday. She died peacefully with me and Dudley by her side. We aren't completely sure why she died because she was stable health wise. Right now all we can say is that she lost the will to survive so her body shut down. The attack took so much from her and Petunia just needs a normal life. She could never adjust to our world._

 _Your father and Sirius are leaving for a 2-week long mission in a week and I will be on call for emergency attacks. We can't really look after Dudley that well if we are off fighting in battles so Dumbledore suggested that he come to stay at Hogwarts for a week or so. It would really help him to better understand the magical world if he could have you as a guide. You will come pick him up next week so please be prepared._

 _I'm so sorry that I had to break the news about Petunia to you but I hope that you won't let this ruin your happiness. I hear you have a tendency to blame yourself for people's deaths and this really wasn't your fault._

 _I love you._

 _-Mom_

Harry gently folded up the letter and put it in his pocket. All of a sudden, he heard bickering outside the portrait hole and Ron and Hermione walked into the kitchens.

Hermione straightened her clothes and looked at Harry with sympathetic eyes.

"Well? Who's dead?" Ron asked.

Hermione swatted his arm for being so blunt but she also looked at Harry with curiosity.

"My aunt," Harry said. "She just gave up and died in her sleep. Mom says that she never really recovered from the attack."

"I'm sorry mate," Ron said. Hermione nodded along with him to show that she was sorry too.

Harry didn't respond at first. Then he spoke quietly.

"Dudley's coming to Hogwarts while my dad and Sirius are on a mission."

Ron looked shocked but Hermione looked outraged.

"No muggles can come to Hogwarts! It's in Hogwarts a History! To allow one in, It's unjust!"

Harry looked up and met Hermione's eyes. She immediately stopped talking.

"Hermione. This is war. Things are different." Harry said and he met eyes with Ron for a second before leaving the kitchens to prepare for Dudley.

* * *

 **A/N- Hello again my amazing readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter so much that it makes up for me not posting last week! I'm really sorry about that but things got busy and I just didn't have time to edit and review what I had written.**

 **Anyway... So I killed Petunia off. I'm sorry if you liked Petunia but the only Dursley I really want to live is Dudley. I think that Petunia and Lily making up is super sweet but I really can't see Petunias character doing much. Dudley is a whole different story. I hope you're excited to see how he does in the magical world because the next chapter is going to be focused on that!**

 **I have a ton of ideas forming in my head about this story so be prepared for new OCs, a little bit of romance, and some epic battles.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Marauderette24**


	19. Chapter 21- Dudley comes to Hogwarts

September 17th

The last week had passed quickly and it was time for Dudley to come to Hogwarts.

Harry walked up to Dumbledores office to use his fireplace and floo to Grimmauld Place.

When he got there, he was greeted by hugs from his family.

"Harry! It's so good to see you!" Lily exclaimed as she squeezed him.

Harry laughed and hugged her back before looking around at headquarters.

Sirius and James were standing in one corner wearing backpacks and looking over a piece of parchment. Tonks was talking to Kingsley near the kitchen and Dudley was awkwardly standing in the middle in the room with a suitcase. When he saw Harry looking at him he walked over and smiled at him. Harry clapped him on the back and asked how he was doing. Dudley told him that he was good and was a bit nervous to be thrown into the world of magic.

"Haven't you seen the Order doing magic here?" Harry asked confused.

"Well yeah but it's just been a few household spells or prank things," Dudley responded. Harry grinned.

"You're in for quite the surprise then," Harry said.

Lily tapped him on the shoulder. "Your dad is leaving now, you might want to say goodbye."

Harry thanked her and walked toward his dad.

"Hey, dad," Harry said.

James smiled and pulled him into a hug.

Harry looked at him and Sirius.

"Don't do anything stupid," Harry said smiling at them.

Sirius saluted him and grinned. James walked over to Lily and kissed her before whispering something in her ear. Lily laughed and James walked back to Sirius and Harry. James and Sirus gave everyone one last smile before they walked out of the house and apparated away. Harry turned and walked back to Dudley.

"Ready Dud?" Harry asked as he walked toward the fireplace.

Dudley nodded and wheeled his suitcase closer to Harry.

Harry grabbed Dudley's suitcase and walked into the fireplace.

"Ok Dudley, Just step into the fireplace, drop this floo powder and shout Headmasters office. OK? Don't forget to speak clearly." Harry said. Then he dropped the floo powder into the fireplace and was engulfed in green flames.

* * *

Harry stumbled into Dumbledores office and waited for Dudley to come through the fireplace. After a few seconds Dudley came through and Harry moved just in time to avoid being smashed. Harry helped Dudley off the floor and Dudley looked around the room in amazement.

Dumbledore's miscellaneous objects twirled as they walked by.

Dumbledore stood up as they walked closer to his desk.

"Hello, Mr. Dursley. Welcome to Hogwarts!" Dumbledore said with twinkling eyes.

Dudley smiled cautiously and waved. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled more and he turned to face Harry as well.

"As I'm sure you know, Harry will be your guide to the magical world. You can accompany him to his classes but you are more than welcome to explore the school grounds. Also, you will be sharing a room with Harry and his dorm mates if that's ok with you Harry." Dumbledore said.

Harry smiled and nodded. "It's perfect professor."

"Well then! You are free to go! Harry, it is almost lunch time so show Dudley to his room and then report to the Great Hall please."

Harry and Dudley walked along the halls of Hogwarts to get to Gryffindor common room.

Along the way, Harry showed Dudley different things in the castle.

"This is the way to Divination. Professor Trelawny predicts my death almost every class so don't worry about her if she says something about you." Harry explained. They were walking along the seventh floor when Harry pointed out the wall that held the room of requirement. They were walking past it when they saw Malfoy talking to some girls with a stressed out look on his face. Harry grabbed Dudley's arm and pulled him in the opposite direction.

"That's Malfoy. He's a Slytherin. He's usually really annoying and always makes fun of anyone who's not a pureblood but this year he's been acting weird. I think him and Snape are death eaters but no one agrees with me since Snape is in the Order and Malfoy is a student." Harry whispered to Dudley.

"Well, Harry if the Order is the light side and Death eaters are the dark side how can Snape be both? It doesn't make sense." Dudley asked.

"Double Agent. He's always hated me and favors Slytherins. The only reason he's still here is because Dumbledore trusts him. Although no one knows why Dumbledore trusts him." Harry explained.

Dudley nodded with a doubtful look on his face.

"One more thing. What's a Slytherin? You say it like it's a bad thing"

Harry sighed. "Well, yes it is kind of a bad thing. There are four houses here at Hogwarts. Kids like Malfoy are Slytherins. They have a bad reputation for being pureblood enthusiasts and death eaters. For example Malfoys, dad is currently in Azkaban under death eaters charges. Same goes for most of Malfoys friends." Harry explained.

"What are the other houses like?" Dudley asked.

"Well, there's the Hufflepuffs who are known for their loyalty and kindness. The third house is Ravenclaw. They are known for being very smart and witty. The last house is Gryffindor which is my house. We are rivals with the Slytherins and are the boldest and bravest out of all the houses."

Dudley nodded. "So I'm going to be a Gryffindor while I'm here?"

Harry nodded and stopped in front of the Fat Lady.

"Password?"

"Errr. Quidditch?" Harry replied.

The Fat Lady swung aside and Harry showed Dudley into the common room. There wasn't anyone in the common room so they went straight to Harry's dorm so they could put Dudleys stuff away. Then they headed down to the Great Hall for lunch. Harry showed him the house tables and introduced him to Dean and Seamus.

"Hi Dursley. Hope you enjoy your stay at Hogwarts. If you ever need anything, feel free to ask." Dean said.

Harry then introduced him to Ron and Hermione.

"Hello, Dudley! My names Hermione and I really think you'll enjoy it here! I mean who doesn't love the magic of Hogwarts!" Hermione exclaimed happily.

"Hi, Dudley. My names Ron and hopefully you don't mind Hermione's enthusiasm." Ron said.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dudley served themselves some lunch and talked amongst themselves. Dumbledore stood up from the teachers table and asked for silence.

"Hello, students! I would just like to announce that Hogwarts is housing its first muggle! Please welcome Harry Potters cousin, Mr. Dudley Dursley. I expect you to be kind and helpful during his stay." Dumbledore said.

The rest of lunch passed without anything else happening other than lots of welcoming gestures from the other students.

* * *

 **A/N- Hi guys thanks so much for reviewing and being awesome! So ThatFandomGirl8 thanks for your awesome review and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. llpi I'm sorry for the confusion of Snape's loyalties and I hope this chapter cleared it up. To all the Guests that have been reviewing thank you for your reviews they are much appreciated. To meelybug, Sorry about the sad chapter but hopefully the next few will be happy.**

 **Thank you all for reviewing and reading this chapter.**

 **-Marauderette24**


	20. Chapter 22-Quidditch

**September 18- Friday**

Harry and Dudley were walking towards the Defense Against the Darks classroom when a few Ravenclaws walked by.

It was Cho Chang and her friends.

"Hi, Harry," Cho said. "You must be Dudley. My names Cho Chang" She said holding her hand out to shake.

Dudley stared at her until Harry nudged him in the side.

"Oh! Hi, I'm Dudley" He said as he shook Cho's hand.

"It's nice to meet you. Are you guys heading to a class?" Cho asked.

Harry nodded. "We're going to Defense with the Slytherins. You?"

"Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Have fun with Professor Lupin!" Cho said.

"Yeah, we'll see you around!" Harry replied.

Cho smiled and walked away with her friends.

Dudley stared at her retreating form until Harry called out to him from down the hall telling him to hurry up or they would be late.

When Harry and Dudley got to the defense class, the entire class was already there. They slipped into two desks in the back and listened to what Professor Lupin was telling the class.

"So that is why you need to know how to use the patronus charm. How many of you can produce it?"

All the Gryffindors raised their hands and smirked at the Slytherins while the Slytherins glared. Professor Lupin smiled and asked if anyone wanted to demonstrate. Some people lowered their hands but most of the Gryffindors wanted to show off their skill.

"Well, Harry since you came in late I would like to see if you can do this. Let's also have Dean and Parvati come up." Professor Lupin said.

Harry smiled slightly at Dudley remembering how he had saved him from dementors last year before he walked to the front of the classroom. Dean and Parvati took their spots next to him. Professor Lupin nodded at them. Dean and Parvati immediately cast their patronus' which took the form of a tiger and a goose. Harry locked eyes with Dudley before shouting "Expecto Patronum!"

The tiger and the goose started to fade leaving only a stag running around the classroom. There was something different about Harrys patronus though. It was now sparkled and glowed a way no one had ever seen before. It went up to Dudley who scooted back in his chair to escape it. The stag nudged him with his nose and ran back to Harry who nodded at him. The stag bowed and disappeared. The room was silent. The Slytherins were glaring and the Gryffindors were looking at Harry in awe. It stayed this way until Dudley came to his cousin's rescue and coughed politely. Harry smiled gratefully at Dudley before awkwardly facing his stunned classmates.

"Right then. Great job everyone. Please pair up and practice this spell until the end of class. Dudley and Harry please come see me." Professor Lupin said in a slightly dazed voice.

"Boys, I hardly think that it's necessary for you to stay. Dudley this class won't be much fun for you and I don't think Harry needs any more practice." Lupin said smiling slightly.

Professor Lupin started walking around the class and correcting them on their performance. Harry was happy to notice that the most Malfoy could produce was a silver wisp and Crabbe and Goyle couldn't get anything to come out.

Harry and Dudley walked out of the classroom quietly to not draw too much attention to themselves.

"So what do you want to do?" Harry asked.

"Errr... What do you want to do." Dudley asked.

"Fly," Harry responded without hesitation.

"Umm. Harry, you are a wizard but I don't see any wings." Dudley said.

"Here we fly on brooms. I would love to take you flying but I'm not sure if you are able too."

They walked in silence until Harry shouted.

"Merlin! The library! Hermione always goes to the library and she's smart so there must be a book that can tell us what Hermione would say!"

Dudley agreed with his cousins logic and they walked into the library. Harry found an old potions book which he read for a while because it had interesting notes and new spells. He found one spell especially interesting. It was to be used for your enemy. When he tried to check it out, the librarian said that it was a class book and that he could have it since it didn't have a name on it except the half blood prince. Harry took the book and continued on with Dudley. They searched for books about muggles and blood status until they finally found a book that looked promising. Harry and Dudley sat at the table and read the book quietly.

Muggles, are they really that different?

Harry and Dudley quickly came to the conclusion that there are 2 kinds of muggles. Pure and Squib related. Since squibs are related to magic people they have the tiniest bit of magic in them and they pass that down through the family until the magic finds someone strong enough to handle the power. Pure muggles have no magical blood what so ever, therefore, they cannot do anything that a wizard or witch can. Squib related muggles can not use a wand or perform spells but they can use other magical objects that don't require as much power.

Harry gasped as he realized that his cousin could fly with him. He dragged Dudley out of the library and ran towards the quidditch pitch. He summoned his firebolt and a school broom for Dudley to ride. When they got there he instructed Dudley on how to properly handle and fly the broom. Then he gave a demonstration. Harry mounted his broom and took off at an incredible speed he did a few loop de loops and shallow dives before cruising at a decent height with his arms spread open and head tilted back. He smiled as the wind blew through his robes before diving down and stopping a foot from the ground to dismount. Dudley stared at Harry in awe. Harry smiled and ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Ready to give it a try?" Harry asked.

Dudley nodded uncertainly as he mounted the broom. He gently pushed off of the ground and hovered a few feet above ground while waiting for Harry. Harry joined him and showed him how to steer and control speed. Dudley did a few laps around the pitch and then flew higher with Harry. They raced around the pitch until Harry spotted McGonagall waiting at the entrance to the pitch. He flew down to meet her.

"Hello, Professor!" Harry said as he ruffled his hair.

"I'm so sorry Potter. We weren't going to make you captain of the quidditch team this year because we knew you would be busy with your parents and cousin but Katie Bell resigned her position due to serious family issues. You are now quidditch captain and you must host tryouts soon because the first match is against Slytherin in a week." McGonagall explained. Harry freaked out at that point.

"ONE WEEK! Tryouts! Professor, please post a notice in Gryffindor common room that tryouts will be tomorrow. Could you also ask Professor Dumbledore to make an announcement at dinner? When is the pitch available this week? Could you book a few times for me, please? I gotta tell Dudley and have a meeting with the existing team. All classes are done for today correct?" Harry asked quickly.

"Slow down Potter. I will post the announcement and do what I can to get an announcement at dinner. Have your meeting with the team and I will get back to you about times." McGonagail said. "I always knew that you would make a great captain Potter. Your father will be proud."

Harry smiled gratefully.

'Thank you so much, Professor. I'll make you proud."

Harry ran over to Dudley and explained the situation. Dudley had a brief understanding of what quidditch was and how passionate Harry was about it so he followed Harry as they ran through the halls of Hogwarts locating the Gryffindors that were on the team. They were all in the DA so he told them to meet him in the room of requirement.

10 minutes later, Harry had the entire team sitting in the room of requirement.

He looked around the room and noticed how many people had graduated. The quidditch team now only consisted of Katie Bell, Ginny, and Harry. He would need to find a new chaser, keeper, and 2 beaters in a week. Not to mention training.

"Ok, Hello everyone. I'm Harry and I have just now been appointed quidditch captain."

The team clapped and smiled at Harry.

"We have one week to find new members for the team and prepare for our first match against Slytherin. Tryouts will be tomorrow so spread the word if you can. Please be there because I think that we should make decisions as a team and bringing in new members is a big decision." Harry said.

They nodded and agreed to be there tomorrow. That night Dumbledore made the announcement for Harry and when he got back to the common room, there was a notice posted by McGonagail.

* * *

 **Septemeber 19th- Saturday**

Harry walked out of the common room with Katie and Ginny at his side. They were holding quidditch tryouts in the morning so that they could get practice time in the afternoon with the whole team. They walked out onto the quidditch field and looked at the crowd that had already gathered to try out. Harry sighed as he recognized some of the giggly girls who weren't Gryffindors. The stands were also full of people that were cheering for their friends. He was pleased to see that Hermione was sitting in the front row. A red head caught his attention and he walked over.

"Ron! What are you doing here?" Harry asked surprised.

Ron's face matched his hair. "Well, I wanted to try out for keeper. I've been practicing since my mom bought me a broom last year and I thought that it would be worth a shot."

Harry smiled at him and reassured him that he would do fine.

"Ok, Hello everyone. I am quidditch captain Harry Potter."

Some of the girls giggled and pointed.

"I am a bit disappointed that I see some people here from other houses. Let me repeat. This is the tryouts for the GRYFFINDOR team. If you are not in Gryffindor please leave. Also if you do not want to play quidditch or won't take it seriously then please leave."

About a half of the people there left.

"Ok. Now if you want to play beater please stand on the left side of the field. If you want to play chaser stay in the middle and if you want to play keeper please go to the right side." Harry said.

The people moved to their proper places and Harry gave instructions to Ginny and Katie.

"Ok. I know for a fact that there are going to be some people that can't play even if they wanted to. Pay attention to them and write down their names. Once you have gone through all of them bring everyone to the center and we will call the names you have written down and tell them that they haven't made the team. The remaining people will play a game with us and then we will make the final decision."

The girls nodded and moved to the beaters and chasers to evaluate them.

15 minutes later there were only 5 beaters, 6 chasers and 3 keepers, including Ron, left. Harry, Katie and Ginny played a game with all of them and decided which ones were going to be good on the team and which weren't. They chose Alicia and Jasmine as beaters because they were best friends and worked in harmony almost as well as Fred and George. Then Jack was chosen as a chaser and Ron was the new keeper. Harry, Katie, and Ginny welcomed the new members and told them that they had practice at 3:00 that afternoon.

* * *

 **A/N- Hi guys what do you think of the longer chapter? I know its only a few hundred more words than I usually write but I thought that it would be nice to try and lengthen the chapters. Anyway hope you enjoyed it if you did leave a review!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	21. Chapter 23-Visions

**September 26- Saturday**

Being captain was a lot more work than Harry had originally thought.

He had to get the team together and make sure they were all prepared but in addition to that, he had to make game strategy's and accommodate to every player's needs. Which meant he had to find a new chaser in the short time he had before the game.

Katie Bell had to pull out of the game last minute due to the fact that her grandpa had died. Harry running around Hogwarts like a madman trying to find a replacement that could fill in on such short notice. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Dudley were following him as they raced through the halls asking if anyone knew a Gryffindor who could play in the game.

The group searched throughout Hogwarts but found no one who could play with the skill they required. They stopped near the black lake and sat down to discuss their options.

"What can I do? We need another chaser." Harry said.

"Err. Harry, I think I have a solution." Dudley said timidly.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Well I now I'm no professional but, I've been to every practice and already know your game plan. You and I have been flying together since we found out I could fly..." Dudley trailed off.

"Are you suggesting yourself for the position?" Ginny asked.

Dudley nodded slowly.

Harry looked thoughtful and started muttering to himself. Then he smiled.

"Welcome to the team Dudley!"

* * *

 **Later that day-**

"Ok team. We can do this. This is what we have been training for. We have overcome all obstacles from hosting tryouts on a days notice to finding a new chaser last minute. Just remember our strategies and work together." Harry said to the team as they gathered for the big game.

They were gathered in the locker room and had just put their uniforms on. Jasmine and Alicia had accidently walked into the locker room as Harry was changing and now had a pink tinge to their cheeks. Dudley was very surprised at how toned his cousin's body was. He was still small for his age but his body was very muscular from playing quidditch for 6 years.

The game was going great. They Gryffindor chasers had scored a goal each so the score was 30-0. The beaters were working great together and zipped around the field to keep bludgers away from the players. Harry and Draco circled each other while searching for the snitch. Harry saw a glimpse of gold near the Slytherin goal posts and took off at lightning speed towards it. Draco followed close behind with his hand extended. Harry leaned forward to give his broom more power and grabbed the snitch a second before Malfoy could. The Slytherin beater saw how close they had been to winning and threw his bat to the side. Ginny was flying down when she was hit by the bat and slid sideways off her broom.

Harry didn't know what was happening until he heard an ear-piercing scream. He turned around and saw Ginny falling towards the ground. Harry acted on instinct and zoomed toward her. He was perpendicular to the ground when he realized that if he couldn't grab Ginny in time they would both be seriously injured from falling from such a height. He pushed his broom to go faster and faster until he was inches from Ginny. He reached his hand out as if he was grabbing the snitch. His fingertips grazed Ginny waist and Harry pushed his broom to go even faster. Harry reached his hand as far as it would go. Harry leaned farther forward on the broom and urged it faster still. Then when they were just inches from the ground Harry grabbed Ginny's waist and pulled her onto the broom as he pulled out of the dive.

Ginny's eyes fluttered open when she realized she was no longer falling. She felt strong hands grab her and pull her close. She relaxed into Harry's chest and smiled as he kissed her head. They slowly and gracefully descended onto the ground where teachers and members of the quidditch team had landed.

Professor McGonagail rushed up to them with what was trying to be a stern face but everyone could see the worry in her eyes.

"Mr. Potter, what were you thinking performing such a dangerous dive?"

"Well, I wanted to save my girlfriend from plummeting 100 feet," Harry replied smoothly.

McGonagail looked surprised when he said girlfriend but gave him and Ginny a hug and walked away to deal with the crowd of people that had gathered to see Harry and Ginny.

Ron ran over white-faced and shaking. He pulled Harry and Ginny into a hug.

"You guys gave me quite a scare just then," Ron said.

Dudley came over and clapped Harry on the back. Madame Pomfrey was pushing her way through the crowd to check Harry and Ginny over. Harry was looking for the beater responsible but he couldn't find him. All of a sudden Harry's scar burned. His hand flew to his forehead and he gritted his teeth against the pain. Ron and Dudley looked worriedly at him.

"Harry! Harry, can you hear me?"

Their voices faded. Harry felt himself sway and fall. He heard the cries from his friends. Then it all stopped and all he heard was Voldemorts laughter. He was looking at the kneeling figure of Bellatrix Lestrange. She stood up and spoke to Voldemort.

"We found their location, my lord. What shall we do to them?"

Voldemort looked thoughtful.

"Bring them to me alive. I have some things I need to ask them." Voldemort said.

Bellatrix smiled.

"You shall have them by tomorrow my lord."

Harry started to come back to reality and could hear his friend's voices begging him to come back to them. He slowly opened his eyes and squinted at the blurry figures in front of him. His eyes started to adjust to the light and he pulled his hand away from his face.

"Are you ok Harry?" asked Dudley who was deathly pale.

Harry smiled shakily at his cousin. He noticed Professor McGonagail herding students away from him. Ron and Hermione were looking at him worriedly while Ginny and Dudley crouched by his side. Then Madame Pomfrey swooped down on him.

"You really shouldn't have attempted that dive Potter, now let me see you head."

"I'm fine really Madame Pomfrey." Harry said.

Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips but moved onto Ginny. The rest of the day passed in a blur. Harry got lots of compliments from quidditch fanatics, lots of giggly stares from the girls and glares from the Slytherins. There was a party in Gryffindor common room that night courtesy of Dean and Seamus. Harry and Ginny danced with Dudley, Ron, and Hermione. Hermione looked like she wanted to ask Harry eventually retired up to his bed with a smile on his face but he couldn't get the vision out of his head. He kept asking himself 2 questions.

Who did Voldemort want? and What did he need to know?

 **A/N- Hi everyone! Guess what! My computer broke! :( While I was on vacation! Don't worry I will find ways to continue to update but it would help my motivation if you reviewed!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	22. Chapter 24-Dark Princess

**September 27th- Sunday- Unknown Location**

James and Sirius were huddled in a cave to escape the rain.

"Sirius? I feel like something isn't right." James said carefully.

"You must be imagining it James. We'll be fine. Just a few more days to go until we get to go back home." Sirius said shivering slightly.

James looked at his best friend, whom he trusted with his life, and nodded.

"Come on. We have to get a move on if we want to get home on time." Sirius said standing.

James followed and hauled his backpack back on. He took a few last looks at the cave and still felt as if someone was staring at him. Sirius was already walking towards the mouth of the cave. James shook his head and jogged toward Sirius.

"Sirius I really don't feel right about this," James said more firm this time.

"James, you are imagining it. We're perfectly safe." Sirius said looking back at him as they walked out of the cave and into the rain.

When Sirius and James turned around again, Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers were standing right in front of them.

"Safe? No, I wouldn't describe us as, safe." Bellatrix said with a sadistic smile.

* * *

From above the cave, a small camera zoned in on them and reported back to the ministry.

"Interesting." Fudge thought as he saw the footage. "I want Skeeter and Woods to my office now."

* * *

Harry was eating breakfast with Dudley when the owls delivering the prophet swooped in. It was normal for awhile until people read the headline.

 _ **THE CHOSEN ONE HAS CHOSEN ONE!**_

 _It was confirmed yesterday that Mr. Harry Potter, the most sought out boy in England has found new love in Miss Ginevra Weasley. After a freak quidditch accident, Potter caught his boo in midair and brought her safely to the ground where he proclaimed his love for her to his professor Minerva McGonagail. She looked flabbergasted but happy for her star pupil. Miss. Weasley looked absolutely in love with Mr. Potter and Mr. Potter leaned down and gave her a kiss. Sorry ladies but it looks like the boy who lived is taken._

 _Written by Rita Skeeter_

Harry groaned as he read the paper. He and Ginny met eyes and grimaced. The secret was out. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione moved closer to Harry and Dudley. Everyone was so busy reading the front page that no noticed the other article that occupied the second page. It was much more important and written by a much better reporter. They didn't realize it was there until a large barn owl with a purple sash flew in carrying a letter with a purple ribbon. People looked up when they noticed the owl had the purple sash signifying that it belonged to the Ministry of Magic. It landed in front of Harry who untied the letter from the owl who flew away in a flash. He opened the letter and jumped back when it rose into the air and started talking. It was the same kind of letter Harry had received when he blew up his aunt. By now the whole hall was looking at the floating letter including teachers. Harry noticed that Dumbledore wasn't seated at the table.

 _"Dear Mr. Harry Potter._

 _We write to you today to share with you some urgent news that was brought to the attention of the ministry recently. One of our cameras originally set up to spot Sirius Black, caught onto the Lestrange family cornering your godfather, Sirius Black, along with you father, James Potter. Mr.'s Black and Potter put up an astounding fight but I am sorry to inform you that they were captured by the death eaters before my aurors were able to arrive._

 _Have a nice day._

 _Minister Fudge."_

Harry sat staring at the letter in horror.

"Harry," Ginny said gently touching his shoulder.

Harry scooted away and got up from the bench ignoring the stares and looks of sympathy from his classmates. When he looked at the head table, Remus was excusing himself. He knew he should have followed Remus but he wanted to be alone. He bolted to the room of requirement.

' _I need a place where I can be alone, I need a place where I can be alone, I need a place where I can be alone.'_

The door appeared on the wall and Harry entered to find a cozy bedroom the size of his dorm room. It was decked out in red and gold with a small bed in the corner. There were a few chairs and bean bags scattered around the fireplace and an area rug to tie it all together. Harry sat down in one of the chairs and sighed. He had just gotten them back and now they were gone.

 _'It's my fault. They wouldn't be in danger if they weren't close to you.'_ Harry thought to himself.

He had let himself open up too much. He had let himself have a normal life with a normal family when the reality was he was nowhere near normal and never would be. He was the chosen one, the boy who lived and the one who must defeat Voldemort. Harrys' eyes hardened and he felt anger pulse inside of him.

 _'I need a place where I can train'_

The room morphed into a room similar to where he held DA meetings. The room was padded with magical mats so no matter how hard he fell on them, he would never get hurt. There was a punching dummy in the middle of the room and a large bookshelf filled with self-defense books on the right.

Harry made his way in front of the dummy and noticed that there were 5 different settings. Muggle, Muggle human, Magic easy, Magic normal and Magic hard. Harry decided to start training with the Muggle setting. He put his wand on the bookshelf and started to do some basic punching. As he punched the dummy it talked to him and gave him feedback.

"You call that a punch? Do you even know _*how*_ to punch?" the dummy asked.

Harry stopped when he realized that he didn't know how to punch. He had never once trained like a muggle and relied on his wand more than needed. He walked over to the bookshelf and started reading a muggle self-defense book. Once he skimmed over the book, he returned to the punching dummy feeling much more confident. He punched and kicked much to the dummy's approval.

"Much better! That's what I'm talking about!"

Harry took a break and wiped the sweat from his brow. He conjured a cup and cast the aguamenti spell to fill up the cup. He heard footsteps outside the door and decided to listen in.

"Hermione! Just knock and ask if he's in there!" Rons voice said.

"No! That's not going to help Ronald! If Harry wants to be alone then he will find a way to be alone!" Hermione said. She sounded as if she were about to cry.

"Guys calm down. Yelling won't help. Give Harry his space. If he wants to talk he knows where to find us." Ginny said calmly.

Harry backed away from the door when he heard them walk away.

As he finished his water and walked back over to the dummy he heard more footsteps.

"Harry? Harry, it's Dudley. I err.. Know you wanna be alone but umm... I was wondering if I could come in? I would just sit there and be quiet if you want me too." Dudley said.

Harry walked over to the door and opened it. Dudley was outside standing rather awkwardly.

"Come in Dudley," Harry said emotionlessly.

Dudley smiled faintly and walked into Harry's training room.

"Harry I know this is a stupid question but are you ok?" Dudley asked.

"I will be," Harry responded while walking over to the dummy. He set it for Muggle human. It morphed into the shape of a live human being and moved like on as well. Harry threw the first punch but the dummy grabbed his arm and flipped him over.

"I win" The dummy announced.

Harry got back up and started to rapidly throw punches at the dummy. The dummy blocked them for a little bit but was caught off guard by a sudden sidekick Harry did. The dummy grabbed onto Harry's leg which gave Harry the momentum he needed to jump on top of the Dummy and force him onto the ground.

"Opponent wins." The dummy announced.

Harry got off of the dummy and brushed the hair out of his face. He walked over to where Dudley was sitting.

"Harry, why are you fighting like a muggle?" Dudley asked.

"It will come in handy in battle. I rely on my wand too much." Harry explained with a blank expression.

Dudley noted the change in his cousin's attitude and figured that this was not just the doing of Sirius and James being captured.

"Harry, are you really ok?" Dudley asked carefully.

"No, I'm not ok Dudley!" Harry exclaimed while punching the dummy. "My dad and Sirius are gone and it's all because of me. I've let my guard down too much. This is just a wake-up call. I've got an image to uphold whether I want to or not." Harry explained while jumping on top of the dummy. He punched the dummy in the face and kicked him to the ground.

"Harry, It's not your fault," Dudley said.

"YES, IT IS!" Harry shouted silencing his cousin. "It's always my fault! They're capturing them to get to me!" Harry yelled. There was an awkward silence where the only sound was Harry's heavy breathing. Harry turned to look at Dudley with scared eyes.

"You must learn to protect yourself, Dudley. You must watch over my mom even if she doesn't want you to. You must promise me." Harry said.

Dudley looked at his cousin and sighed. He didn't understand half of the stuff Harry had faced during his time at Hogwarts. Harry looked at him pleadingly and Dudley gave in.

"I promise," Dudley said holding his hand out.

Harry shook it satisfied and his eyes hardened again, void of any emotion. He walked back over to the dummy and continued training. A second Dummy appeared and Dudley got up to fight it. When he looked over at his cousin, he could have sworn he saw a hint of a smile forming on Harry's lips.

* * *

 **Lestrange Manor-**

James and Sirius were dragged by chains into the main hall of Lestrange Manor.

"We caught them, my lord!" Bellatrix exclaimed with a grin.

Voldemort laughed.

"I would expect no less from you Bella." Voldemort drawled.

He got up from his throne and walked down to Sirius and James level.

"So boys, how did you conquer death?" Voldemort asked cocking his head to the side like a child.

Sirius growled and tried to escape his chains only to be slapped by Voldemort.

"It doesn't matter how we're alive! It wouldn't work for you since you don't deserve a second chance." James spat.

"Oh, so your daughter didn't deserve a second chance did she, James?" Voldemort asked curiously.

"James?" Sirius said questioningly.

James hung his head.

"Lily was pregnant when she died. We were planning to tell you, but we never got the time." James said sadly. "When we woke up in the afterlife, she wasn't there."

"How touching," Voldemort said. "Now would you like to join your daughter or tell me the secret of death?" Voldemort asked.

"We'll never tell you anything!" Sirius shouted.

"Very well, we'll do it the hard way," Voldemort said. "Bring in the Dark Princess."

Bellatrix left the room only to return a minute later holding a small girl by the arm. She was wearing a black floor length gown with snakes embroidered into the bodice. Her shirt had multiple layers which sashayed across the floor as she walked. Her light brown hair was curled elegantly and her lips a bright almost unnatural red. She put on a good mask but James and Sirius could tell that she was scared.

"Hello, little girl," Voldemort said.

She said nothing.

"He said hello!" Bellatrix screamed casting the cruciatus curse on the small girl. She cried and screamed as the pain intensified. Bellatrix only kept it on for a minute before taking it off and glaring at the girl.

"Now, how do we greet our lord?" Bellatrix asked sweetly.

"Hello, My Lord." The girl cried.

"Much better," Voldemort said as he walked towards her. "Now I got you some live targets to practice on. How about we start with the cruciatus curse. Just yell 'Crucio' and feel hatred for all the mudbloods in the world." Voldemort said casually.

The girl raised the wand she had been given shakily and looked James in the eye. He could see the fear and sadness in her eyes as she whispered the incantation. James was surprised to feel slight pains all over his body. Most kids couldn't even make you feel anything much less any pain.

"Good attempt but we must work harder. Really summon hate and mean it. Watch closely." Voldemort said. His red eyes glowed and he shouted "CRUCIO!"

James immediately collapsed onto the floor and started to bite his tongue to stop the scream that threatened to escape. He faintly heard Sirius calling his name and Bellatrix laughter but he could only concentrate on the pain. It seemed to go on for hours but James knew that it was mere seconds or possibly minutes he wasn't sure. He opened his eyes a crack to see the small girl trying to hide her tears. Her eyes widened as she realized that he had seen her. She turned away and brushed her hair to cover her face. Moments later James was released from the pain and he panted heavily to regain his breath. Sirius was looking at him worriedly while glaring at Voldemort. Voldemort smiled.

"Now, Princess cast it upon this blood traitor," Voldemort said.

The Dark princess raised her wand and looked at Sirius. She mouthed 'I'm sorry.' as she cast the spell. Sirius was immediately thrown to the ground as she tortured him. It felt like tiny daggers stabbing him all over his body. A few moments later it stopped and Sirius opened his eyes to see Bellatrix smiling at the girl and saying her praises.

"I think that's enough for today. Wormtail take them to the dungeons and Bella bring the Dark Princess back to her room." Voldemort commanded as he sat back down on his throne.

Peter emerged from the shadows and coward in front of his master before grabbing James and Sirius' chains and dragging them out of the room. Thye were thrown into a small cell with a single lantern in the middle. The was a slot under the door to feed the prisoners and a barred window in the door so guards could see in. Sirius and James were pacing beside each other and muttering about who that girl was.

"She was so dark!" Sirius said.

"They called her the dark princess!" James exclaimed.

"Does she have a name?"

"I'll call her evil brat."

"She tortured us."

"She was actually able to torture us."

"Who is she?" They said at the same time.

 **A/N- Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The special 24th chapter! It has to be special because I am Marauderette _24 _ after all. Look forward to the new Dark Princess, more Megan, More Remus, More Lily and more Sirius and James! Dudley will be going home soon and Harry will have another lesson with Dumbledore. Anyway... I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for another update next Friday,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	23. Chapter 25-Escape Plan?

**September 28th- Monday- Lestrange Manor**

The Dark Princess sat in her room looking in a mirror.

Sometimes when she looked hard enough she could see the innocent six year old she had once been. Shoulder length, stick straight light brown hair and hazel eyes. A brilliant white smile that lit up a room. Freckles dusted across her nose and cheeks with a natural blush to match. She ran around in the tall grass with jean shorts and an orange tee shirt.

When she blinked that girl was gone and only the Dark Princess remained.

Her brown eyes had glazed over and darkened. Her hair was elegantly curled with not one hair out of place. The freckles that were once dusted across her nose were gone and her lips painted on with real blood. Her closet consisted of black silk dresses and satin skirts.

The Princess sighed as she looked at what had become of her.

She was a shadow of her former self.

Before the attack, she had been a normal girl living a normal life with a normal family. She lived in a small town right outside of London and had lived there her whole life. She had a loving sister who would do anything for her and parents who loved her to pieces. She had tons of friends and her teachers loved her. It all changed when the death eaters attacked.

The Dark Princess snapped out of her memories as someone knocked on her door.

She arranged her features to mask any emotions that might show through and called out to whoever was knocking that they could come in. A masked death eater came in and told her that it was time for a torture session and she could come if she wished. One of the good things that had come out of being the Dark Princess, was that even if she was only 7, the death eaters acted as if she were the queen of England. She stood up elegantly and walked past the death eaters like the princess that she was. They followed behind her as guards as she went from one prison cell to the were about to open Sirius and James' cell but she yelled "NO! They're mine!"

The guard immediately backed away as she opened the cell door.

* * *

James and Sirius were huddled in a corner of their cell when they heard the death eaters coming. They tensed as they heard keys being pulled out and inserted into the door. As the key was turning, they heard a female voice yell. "They're mine!"

The small girl that had tortured them yesterday walked in twirling a wand between her fingers. The guards closed the door behind her.

She walked along the perimeter of the cell back towards Sirius and James.

"Well, well we meet again," James said glaring.

"What are you going to do now Princess? Wanna kill us?" Sirius asked.

Her head snapped around and she glared daggers at Sirius.

"Don't call me that!" She screamed. She saw the stunned looks on their faces and turned back around.

After a few minutes of silence, she turned around with scared eyes.

"No I don't want to kill you but I understand if you want to kill me." She said guiltily.

Sirius and James looked at each other confused. The Dark Princess took one last look around before facing them again.

"Don't worry the guards can't hear us. Voldemort has silencing charms on all the cells so he won't hear the screams." She said offhandedly.

James and Sirius looked at her strangely.

She cleared her throat and continued on.

"Do you want to get out of this place?"

James nodded while Sirius just stared looking skeptical.

"I can get you out of here but please take me with you." She pleaded.

"Why should we? You treated us like scum!" Sirius said.

"Please, please, I'll do anything. You don't even have to take me that far, just get me out of the building." She said.

"How can we know that you aren't spying on us for Voldemort?" James asked.

"Because I won't do anything for him! Please, you have to believe me! Take me with you! You don't understand what he'll do to me!" She screamed.

"Please, Please, I'll do anything." She cried.

"Who are you?" James asked. "If you aren't the Dark Princess who are you?"

 _Flashback_

 _"My name is Sophronia but I go by Sophie for short." a small girl announced to the class._

 _End Flashback_

"I used to be Sophronia Dream Snow but now, I'm not too sure." She whispered.

"How can you not be sure who you are?" Sirius asked.

"Because she's gone. The girl I used to be is gone. I grew up." She said dejectedly.

"How come you haven't escaped before?" James asked changing the subject.

"I needed a capable partner. You guys are the smartest, bravest and most reliable prisoners Voldemort has ever gotten. Please help me."

"How long have you been here?"

 _Flashback_

 _"SOPHIE! SOPHIE RUN!" A voice yelled_

 _"SARAH!"_

 _"GO!" screamed the voice._

 _End Flashback_

"Since the attack." She answered tearfully. "Please, you have to trust me. Tomorrow there will be a dinner party that lots of top death eaters are required to attend. I trust that you can take out a few low maintenance guards?"

At their nod, she continued. She pulled a wand out of her pocket and handed it to them.

"Don't use it until tomorrow. Get out of your cell and go up to the dining room. Don't worry about being sneaky because we're going to cause a big show. As we escape the building fire the dark mark into the sky to alert people of the location. Drop the wand and leave it here when you're done, we don't want people to think we're death eaters. I've gotten ahold of your bags which contain everything including your wands. So don't worry about that spare one. Trust me and we get out of here, don't and we die." Sophie said as she walked toward the door her skirt swaying behind her. She opened the door and disappeared leaving James and Sirius staring at the door.

"James you can't possibly trust her," Sirius exclaimed as soon as they were sure she had left.

"Sirius I don't know about you but I have to get out of here. Think about Harry, he can't lose us again." James said reasonably.

Sirius sighed as he realized that James was right.

"She didn't even tell us how she would do it, though. I mean she looks like she's five! We're trusting a five-year-old with our lives!" Sirius said.

James gave Sirius a look and Sirius sighed.

"When did you turn into Moony?" He asked.

James laughed and patted Sirius on the back.

"You know I wonder how Moony is doing."

 **A/N- Hi guys! Short chapter I know but I just went back to school and right now my focus is school but I am trying to write more chapters faster so that even when I'm busy I'll be able to upload a chapter every week. Anyway... I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did why not review? Please no flames but constructive criticism is always welcome!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	24. Chapter 26-Explode

**September 29- Monday- Grimmauld Place**

Remus walked out of the fireplace with Harry and Dudley in tow.

Dudley was coming home from Hogwarts for good while Harry was staying the night. They walked into the living room with Dudley's bag and was immediately pulled into a hug by Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh Harry dear, I heard about Sirius and James. I'm so sorry. You look too skinny, are you eating enough? Don't put your health at risk."

Harry smiled at Mrs. Weasley momentarily forgetting about his dad.

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley. I promise I'm eating enough." Harry laughed.

"Oh, good dear. Your mom is upstairs if you wish to see her. If not, I'm in the kitchen and dinner should be ready soon..."

Harry nodded and turned towards the stairs. He had completely forgotten about his mom! He ran up the stairs taking two at a time. He opened the door to his parent's bedroom to find his mom sitting at her desk staring blankly at her closet She smiled weakly as he came in.

"Hey, mom," Harry said.

She sniffled and opened her arms for a hug which Harry gladly walked into.

"How are you, Harry?" Lily asked.

"I'm fine," he said shakily. "The real question is how are you?"

"I'll be ok. Are you staying for a while?" Lily asked casually.

"No, I'm staying the night but I have to go back to Hogwarts. Dudley will be here, though." Harry replied.

"Oh good. I better get downstairs to make dinner huh?" Lily questioned.

"No Mrs. Weasley is making it. She told me to come upstairs and say hello." Harry said.

"Oh well, then I think I'll go help her," Lily said.

Together they walked out of the bedroom and downstairs to help Molly finish dinner. A few members of the Order came in and out but only two stayed for dinner. Remus and Tonks. Harry and Lily made everyone sit in certain seats so that Remus and Tonks were forced to sit next to each other. They were both a bit red in the face as they shyly took their seats. After dinner, Harry and Dudley moved upstairs to play wizards chess, which Dudley won. Harry went to sleep that night worried but happy.

* * *

 **September 29th- Monday- Lestrange Manor**

Sophie was in her room making sure everything was in order.

She packed James and Sirius' bags with everything they could possibly need including a few of her things that she would take once they were out of here. She walked to her closet and picked out her fanciest dress for the evening. She cast a shrinking charm on the bags and stuffed them in her pockets. Then, she quickly tied her hair into a bun and walked out of her room. She took a detour on her way to the dining room so that she could visit the prison cells. She glared at the guards as they moved out of her way so she could see the prisoners.

Sirius and James were in the last cell so she walked past the empty cells until she got to theirs. They looked up emotionlessly at her as she nodded. They smiled slightly as James took the wand out of his pocket. Sophie's lips turned up as she walked away from their cell.

She kept walking until she reached the dining room. The guards immediately opened the doors for her as she strutted in confidently and glared at the death eaters.

The dining hall had a long table going down the length of the room. A chandelier hung above the middle of the table and torches lit up the walls. Voldemort sat at the head of the table with Bellatrix on his right side. The rest of the death eaters were scattered around the table.

Bellatrix smiled at her as Sophie took her seat on the left side of Voldemort. As soon as she sat down, food appeared on the plates and drinks filled their cups. Sophie politely sipped her drink and took a bite of her steak.

* * *

 **Meanwhile in the Dungeons-**

Sirius stood behind James since he didn't have a wand.

"Silencio. Bombarda" James whispered flicking the wand expertly.

The door exploded but didn't make a sound. They cautiously walked forward to check the guards that had been flattened by the rubble. Sirius grabbed one of their wands and then snapped the other one. Sirius and James walked forward glancing backward every now and then to ensure that they weren't being followed. There were two guards blocking the exit so they silently stunned them and snapped their wands.

James moved forward to open the door when they heard death eaters talking.

"I heard that Snape and Malfoy are at the dinner tonight." said one death eaters excitedly.

"Really. How did Snape get Dumbledore off his back?"

"I have no idea but I wish I was in there to ask him!"

The voices faded and Sirius and James opened the dungeon doors. They stayed against the wall as they crept through the halls and into the dining room.

Sophie was calmly sipping her drink and was constantly glancing at the door in hopes that Sirius and James would burst through.

If they didn't come, Sophie knew she would be stuck here for another year or more.

Finally, as the clock was about to strike 8, James and Sirius opened the doors of the dining room with wands raised.

The death eaters stood up and reached for their wands. Voldemort let out a cry of rage as Bellatrix snarled. Sophie slowly made crouched under the death eaters outstretched arms and was now at the front of the table.

As soon as Voldemort cast a spell at them, Sophie sprinted in front and pulled up a shield wandlessly.

"Sophronia!" hissed Voldemort.

Sophie canceled the shield and put her hands back at her sides.

"Why you little mudblood!" screamed Bellatrix. "After all, my lord has done for you, you betray us?"

Sophie laughed cruelly. "After he did what? After he murdered my sister right in front of me? Burned my parents to death? Had his death eaters kill my friends? He ruined my life!" Sophie screamed.

Sophie could feel her magic bubbling inside of her. It coursed through her veins desperate to get out. All of the anger and sadness she had felt for the past year was finally surfacing. She lifted her hands to the sky and let out a rage filled scream.

Fire shot out of her hands and onto the ceiling. It spread down the walls and onto the chandelier. Sophie redirected her hands in front of her and burned the table to ashes. The death eaters were now shooting spells at Sirius and James while Sophie reined in her magic. She could feel herself getting weaker with every spell she cast at the death eaters and knew that she had to do something. James and Sirius were heavily outnumbered and there was no way that the three of them could beat the twenty death eaters that were currently in the room. Not to mention Voldemort probably called for backup and more death eaters were now on their way. A spell was shot at Sophie but she ducked just in time to miss it. She could see James and Sirius struggling to fend off the death eaters that were flowing through the doors. More death eaters made their way towards her. Sophie ducked and jumped to avoid the spells but she couldn't keep it up much longer. She cast a few of stunning spells at the death eaters nearest to her but more kept coming. James and Sirius weren't doing much better.

While they looked like they were doing better than her, they seemed to be struggling to keep up with the death eaters. Sophie looked around frantically for anyway for them to get out but there was none. The doors were blocked by death eaters and the fire was slowly spreading across the floor. So Sophie did the only thing she could think of.

She spread her hands and called upon all her magic. She sent a wave of magic flowing through the room shaking the ground and shattering the glass. James and Sirius looked at her with panicked eyes. She smiled softly as the room exploded around her.

 **A/N- Hey guys. What did you think? I gave you a little bit more on Sophie's backstory and how powerful she is. Next chapter will be longer I promise but I really wanted to end the chapter here. So why do you think happened to James and Sirius? Where was Voldemort during the battle? What's the full story of the attack Sophie** **refers to? Will everyone make it out of the explosion alive?**

 **All of these questions will be answered next chapter! Leave a review if you have a prediction on what's going to happen. No flames but constructive criticism is always welcome.**

 **Until next time,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	25. Chapter 27-Potter Manor

"Sophie. Sophie wake up." a female voice said.

Sophie's eyes opened and focused on the very familiar figure. A young woman with wavy brown hair and hazel eyes looked down at her. She was dressed in a white dress and had a glittering diamond ring on her finger.

"Sarah?" asked Sophie excitedly.

"Yes. It's me but I won't be here for long." Sarah said sadly.

"Why? I want to stay here with you forever! I used my magic to save Sirius and James so now I can stay with you right?" Sophie exclaimed happily allowing the childish wonder come back into her voice for the first time in a year.

Sarah smiled sadly.

"You have a much longer life to live Sophie. There is so much you must do before you can join me."

"Could you come with me?" Sophie asked.

"No. This is something you must do alone. I am only here to guide you."

"Why am I here?" Sophie asked.

"I asked to see you one last time," Sarah said. "There is so much I want to tell you but I only have a little bit of time." She paused to sigh. "Sophie you must let go. Let the village go. That life is gone and you are going to go on an incredible adventure to find your new life. I trust that you will make the right decisions. Please let people into your life. I promise that you will have someone love you like I have and have parents just as devoted as mom and dad. You will make new friends and reunite with old. Best of all, you will discover true happiness and peace."

"Sarah? Why can't I come with you?" Sophie asked.

"Because darling. You have a life to live. You have people waiting to love you."

"You love me too right?"

"Of course, I love you. I will love you forever-" Sarah started

"And Always." Sophie finished.

Sarah smiled and kissed her sister on her head before starting to fade away. She was turning around when,

"Wait. One more thing." Sarah snapped her fingers.

Sophie started spinning and watched as her dress lengthened and became a glowing white. The blood stains that once stained the dress vanished. Her freckles returned to her face and her eyes sparkled brightly once more. Sophie's hair straightened itself and twisted into a fancy bun.

Sophie smiled at her sister and watched as Sarah winked at her and disappeared.

* * *

Buzzing.

That's what James woke up to. He heard so much buzzing and his head felt funny. He tried to sit up but found it very painful.

"What happened?" He wondered aloud.

Then the battle came back to him. He remembered facing the death eaters with Sirius. Panicking when the fire started to head towards him. Looking at Sophie briefly before the room blew up.

"Sirius," James mumbled. He sat up and scanned the rumble for his best friend. At first he saw nothing but a small worm crawling across the stone. Then he saw Sirius laying unconscious a few feet away from James. James stood up carefully and walked towards Sirius.

James put a shaking hand on Sirius' wrist to check for a pulse.

At first, there was nothing. Then, a small thump ensured James that his friend was alive. James breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rennervate!" James said.

Sirius' eyes opened suddenly and he looked around frantically. Then his eyes rested on James. Sirius released a ragged breath.

"James. What happened?" Sirius asked.

"I'm not quite sure. I remember fighting the death eaters when I looked over to see how Sophie was doing. She smiled at me right before the room blew up." James said.

Sirius nodded vaguely staring into the distance. James looked that way too actually looking at the mansion. There was no ceiling anymore. The entire house had burnt down or collapsed in the time that James and Sirius had been asleep. They could see bodies under the rubble and blood splattered against the stone. James and Sirius could tell that they were lucky they had blasted away from the house. If they had still been in the house, they would have been crushed or burned from the fire. A fire was still visible in some spots of the house but not so many that it was a hazard. There was glass, wood and stone shattered everywhere.

"Sirius we have to find Sophie," James said.

"Why James? We need to get out of here." Sirius said.

"Sirius she's just a kid. We need to get her out of her. The death eaters will want revenge on her for switching sides."

"Fine," Sirius said grumbling as he made his way down the mountain of rubble he was currently standing on. James had already started going down the hill so Sirius jogged to catch up. They had to step over a few death eater bodies. They looked at the blank staring eyes with disgust. After a few minutes of walking, they found an arm sticking out of the rubble.

Without a second thought, James started moving the stones that covered Sophie. As her face became visible, James stopped. The face that was showing was nothing like the hard face of the girl he had met. If James didn't know any better he would say she was sleeping. When James had met her, Sophie was hard and tense but now she looked peaceful and happy. James quickly moved the rest of the rocks and pulled Sophie's body out of the rubble.

James nodded at Sirius.

"Let's go," James said.

Sirius nodded.

"Morsemorde!" He said pointing his wand at the sky and watching as the horrifying skull filled the sky. Sirius dropped the wand in the rubble and jogged after James who was back at the top of the mountain that was once Lestrange Manor.

"Sirius? Where do we go?" James asked.

Sirus thought about it. They couldn't go to Grimmauld because Sophie needed to be awake to read the address. If they went to Hogwarts, they risked being exposed as Order members. Suddenly Sirius had a brilliant idea.

"Prongs! Potter Manor!"

James smiled.

"You're a genius Padfoot!"

Potter Manor was James' childhood home. It had all of the protection spells of Grimmauld place minus the fidelius charm. It was full of house elves that could serve them until they contacted the Order.

Sirius waited until James had apparated away with Sophie to apparate to Potter Manor.

* * *

Sirius arrived in a large front room. The walls were red with white trim much like Lily and James' house in the afterlife. There was a grand staircase in front of Sirius that lead to the second floor. As Sirius looked around he remembered the holidays he had spent here with the Potters. Playing in the snow with the rest of the marauders, eating Christmas breakfast with James and finally having parents who cared about him. He looked over at James and saw that he too was remising about the good times they had in this house.

Neither of them had been here since James' parents were killed by death eaters. Their room would forever be locked so no one could go inside.

"Sirius, I'm going to go put Sophie in bed. Why don't you take my wand to check the charms and try to make some dinner?" James asked taking Sirius out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean 'try'? I can make food perfectly!" Sirus exclaimed indignantly.

"Suer you can Padfoot," James said rolling his eyes.

Sirius huffed and started waving the wand Sophie had given James before they broke out of the manor.

James cradled Sophie in his arms as he walked up the stairs.

'I wonder what's going to happen to her.' James wondered opening the door to a small bedroom. He placed Sophie on the bed and tucked her in. Her lips parted softly making James believe she was going to wake up but she twisted herself so she was laying on her side. James leaned in to see if anything had changed but it hadn't. He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and left the room closing the door softly behind him.

James went back downstairs to find that Sirius had indeed made food without burning the house down. The two friends sat and ate in relative silence each taking turns to check on Sophie.

* * *

 **September 30th- Sunday- Potter Manor**

James woke up in the morning and walked to Sophie's room.

She still had not woken up but she did show signs of wellness. Occasionally she would move or breath a bit louder than usual. James was still puzzled as to how she could come out of an explosion and be completely fine. James was also confused as to how she could look so different. Her pale skin now had a sun-kissed glow to it and her nose sprinkled with freckles. Sophie was still dressed in the white dress they had found her in which was another thing James wondered about.

Sophie shifted in bed and mumbled something under her breath. Excited, James leaned closer to hear what she was saying.

"Sarah. Sarah" Sophie mumbled.

James moved back confused. He shook his head and exited the room to make breakfast. Sirius came down about an hour later still half asleep.

"Augamenti," James whispered pointing the wand at Sirius.

The jet of water hit Sirius right in the face who spluttered and put his hands over his face in a lousy attempt to stop the water.

"James! What was that for?" Sirius asked annoyed.

"You seemed tired so I helped you wake up," James answered with a smirk.

"Ugh," Sirius said playfully glaring at James. "So what are we doing today?"

James slid some scrambled eggs onto a plate and handed them to Sirius.

"Well, we need to get more food since that's all Blinky could find on short notice," James said indicating to the eggs.

"Blinky's still here?" Questioned Sirius.

"Yeah. She's been keeping the house clean for me but since she didn't know we were coming, she has no food left." James explained.

"BLINKY!" Sirius screamed scaring James.

A moment later a house elf popped in and hugged Sirius by the legs.

"Master Sirius! Yous has growns! Blinky missed you! Blinky knew yous weren't bad!"

"Thank you, Blinky. I missed you too!" Sirius said.

"Blinky could you do me a favor and watch over the girl in the guest room? Alert us if she wakes up." James said.

Blinky bowed and popped away.

"I'm going to write a letter to Dumbledore," James announced.

Sirius nodded. "I was thinking about that too but make sure you use the proper charms to make sure it's safe."

James nodded distractedly. Then finally shook his head and left the room to write the letter.

James walked up the staircase and into the office. Potter Manor had a total of 24 rooms. 12 bedrooms, the kitchen, the ballroom, the dining room, the office, the library (Which was bigger than the Hogwarts library), the training room, the pool, the study room, the play room.

James sat down at the desk that his father had sat at years ago. He picked up a spare piece of parchment and a quill.

 _Dear Dumbledore,_

 _I do hope this finds you well. This letter had plenty of charms on it so no one can read it except you. There is an exception if you show this letter to someone they can see it as well. Almost like a secret keeper for a letter. By now you may know who is writing this to you but in case you don't, it's me. James._

 _We can tell you the full detailed story later but in short, death eaters captured us and brought us to LeStrange Manor. I'm sure you heard of the explosion? Well, that was our escape. We befriended a powerful young witch who is currently staying with us. We are located at a secure location so don't worry about our well being. Although we don't have much supplies left. I have enclosed a portkey that will take you to our location. The only problem, you must bring Harry._

 _I know this sounds like a trap, but we are located at Potter Manor and you can only come in if you are with a Potter. Lily was never registered as a Potter because I never thought I would come here again after my parents died and for that reason never updated the security to allow access for Lily. I would change it but the system wouldn't recognize the wand we have. Harry has my blood so he will be able to come in. As long as you come with him, he can open the gates and you can come in._

 _We would come to but our guest is still unconscious and can't come to HQ because she needs to be able to read the address. Please, bring Madame Pomfrey if possible because we all have a few injuries we need to have looked at._

 _Please believe me. This isn't a trap. The portkey leaves at 3:00 pm._

 _-James_

James grabbed the wand and tapped the quill to make it a portkey.

"Blinky!" James called.

Blinky appeared and bowed before James.

"What can Blinky do for yous sir?"

"I know you're not an owl but I really need you to deliver something for me ok?" James asked

Blinky nodded.

"Take this letter to Professor Dumbledore and make sure no one else sees you ok?"

Blinky nodded and took the letter from James. She disappeared with a pop.

* * *

 **September 30th- Sunday- Hogwarts**

Dumbledore was in his office looking through his memories and deciding which ones to show Harry.

He looked at his blackened hand and sighed. He needed to show these to Harry and quickly.

 _'As soon as he gets back, I will show him all of the childhood memories.'_ Dumbledore vowed. As he was walking towards the pensieve, a house elf popped into the room. Before he could even say a word, the house elf had dropped the letter on his desk and left.

Dumbledore glided over to the letter with his wand in hand. He checked it for jinx or spells but found only protection charms. He cautiously opened the letter to see James' untidy script. His eyes widened and he immediately walked over to the fireplace.

He was going to Headquarters.

* * *

Dumbledore arrived at HQ moments later. He walked briskly through the hall and straight to Lily's room. He knocked politely and waited for an answer.

Lily opened the door moments later.

"Oh Hello, Professor! What a nice surprise. What are you here for today?" Lily asked.

"Well, I think it would be better if we were to speak somewhere privately," Dumbledore said.

Lily furrowed her brow but complied and invited Dumbledore inside her room. She closed the door softly and cast charms on the door so now one could listen in.

"What is it Professor?" asked Lily.

"First I would like Harry to stay at Headquarters for the rest of the weekend but the next thing I want to talk to you about has to do with James and Sirius," Dumbledore said gently.

Lily's face dropped.

"They've been killed haven't they," Lily asked.

"No no, not yet I don't believe," Dumbledore said.

At Lily's confused gaze Dumbledore continued.

"You a house elf dropped off a letter to the castle this morning. She didn't tell me who she was or who it was from but, the letter was signed by James in what I believe is James' handwriting." Dumbledore explained.

Lily took the letter out of Dumbledore's hands and skimmed through it.

"It's his handwriting and signature. I'd recognize it anywhere, but I don't want to put Harry in any danger." She said.

"I understand that but it is the only way we can find out if it is really James. I checked the letter and portkey for spells but the only ones I found were protection charms." Dumbledore said.

Lily looked at Dumbledore for a moment before sighing. She opened the door and called for Harry. Harry walked in a minute later with a confused look on his face.

Wordlessly, Dumbledore handed Harry the letter. Harry looked over the letter and his head snapped back up.

"Let's go! We have to assemble a team to get them!" Harry exclaimed.

"Harry let's be rational. This could put you in danger. I couldn't live knowing that I-"

"Well, I couldn't live knowing that I put Sirius and Dad in danger!" Harry said. "You don't know me well yet-"

"Of course I know you you're my son!" Lily screamed.

"So what's my favorite color? How was my first day at Hogwarts? What's the wood of my wand? Face it you know NOTHING about me! I am going to Potter Manor whether you like it or not!" Harry screamed. He snatched the portkey from Dumbledore and ran to his room.

He glanced at the clock and saw that it was 2:50. He grabbed a backpack and threw some pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs into it. Dudley was sitting in the room fiddling around with a chess board when Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room.

"Harry?" Dudley asked as he was dragged through the hall.

Harry glanced at the clock and saw that it was now 2:56. He ran faster and finally found Remus.

"Well Hello, Harry! Lily was just looking for you! She seemed a bit worried-"

"Sorry, no time Professor! We have to get out of the house before 3!" Harry exclaimed.

The protective enchantments on Grimmauld place would prevent them from being taken from the house so Harry pulled them outside. They were in the middle of the street when Lily opened the door to Grimmauld place. She was running to try and catch them but Harry felt the familiar tug in his naval and knew she wouldn't make it in time. The last thing he saw was Lily's distressed face and outstretched hand.

Then he felt the ground form underneath him. He heard grunts from Dudley and Remus who hadn't been expecting to travel. As Harry lifted his head up he saw a magnificent entrance hall and a large staircase.

He was in Potter Manor.

 **A/N- Hey guys!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter (I tried to make it longer) and if you did please leave a review! What do you think will happen next?**

 **Until next time,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	26. Chapter 28- MCE

**September 30- Sunday- Potter Manor**

Remus whipped his wand out and looked at Harry like he was crazy.

"Harry! What are we doing here?" Remus asked.

"Well, he knew that we'd be here of course!" James said stepping into the entrance hall.

Remus pointed his wand at him.

"Woah now no need for that Moony!" Sirius said joining James.

Harry was about to run over to them but Remus held him back.

"Transform," Remus said simply.

With two pops, James and Sirius were replaced by a large grim like dog and a magnificent stag.

"James, Sirius!" Remus exclaimed finally letting go of Harry.

Harry bolted up to his dad and hugged him, not letting go in fear that he might disappear.

"Dad! Are you ok?" Harry asked letting go of James.

"I've been better, but it's really only a few scratches," James said gesturing to the scratches on his arms.

"Sirius and I didn't want to try any healing charms on ourselves," James admitted.

"So we wrote to Dumbledore to bring some people to help! Speaking of which where is everyone, Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Uhhh... So about that..." Harry began. "I kinda got into a fight with mom and came without permission."

"Harry!" Everyone exclaimed at once.

"You got in a fight with your mom?" James asked.

"You don't have permission to be here?" Dudley asked.

"You made a portkey?" Remus asked.

"Did you bring food?" Sirius asked.

"Ummmm... Yes, Yes, No, Yes." Harry replied.

He brought his backpack to the front of his body and shifted through the contents. He pulled out a pumpkin pastie and handed it to Sirius. Sirius happily opened the package and munched on the snack.

"Harry, please explain," James asked calmly.

Harry started talking about how he ran into his mom's room and stole the portkey to get here.

"Harry. You are going back right now getting your mom, Dumbledore, and Madame Pomfrey and bringing them here do you understand?" James said.

"Yes, Dad," Harry mumbled.

James nodded and gave Harry another portkey.

"There you go. This will activate as soon as you touch it and again in 15 minutes ok?"

Harry nodded and waved goodbye before touching the portkey and taking off to Grimmauld place.

* * *

 **Grimmauld Place-**

Lily was pacing worriedly in the kitchen waiting for any news from Dumbledore. He had gone back to Hogwarts to try and track Harry.

All of a sudden, Lily heard a voice in the entrance hall. She rushed over to find that Harry had appeared.

"Harry!" She exclaimed as she rushed over and embraced him. "Are you ok? Where's Dudley? Where did the portkey take you? You are so grounded mister!"

"It was really them mom." Harry said, "Sirius and Dad are back!"

Lily gasped. "One moment Harry. Let me fire call Dumbledore. And don't think for one second that I forgot your actions this morning!"

"Wait! Could you tell Dumbledore to bring Madame Pomfrey along?"

Lily looked questioningly at him but nodded her head.

A few moments later, two people emerged from the fireplace.

"Hello, Harry what a pleasant surprise! Now would you like to explain why I had to bring Poppy along?" Dumbledore asked casually.

"Well, you see sir, when I grabbed the portkey, it took us to a large house. Dudley, Professor Lupin and I stepped in and were about to walk forward when Dad and Sirius popped up! They told me to come back and get Madame Pomfrey because they need medical care and they just want to see you and Mom."

"Well, why didn't you say something earlier! You never know what those death eaters did to them! Now how do we get to this house?" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed.

"Ummm, let's head outside and then please grab onto this quill," Harry said.

The group moved outside and grabbed onto the quill. In the blink of an eye, they were in Potter Manor.

"James!" Lily screamed launching herself at her husband.

Dumbledore stood at the door with his eyes twinkling while Madame Pomfrey started looking at Sirius' wounds.

"Really Dear, it could get infected please let me give you a bandage. Now do you have any other cuts? Any headaches or dizziness? Have you eaten yet? Get some rest ok?" Madame Pomfrey said as she healed Sirius' wounds. She made her way over to James and coughed politely to break up James and Lilys makeout session. Remus made his way over to Sirius to talk.

Harry and Dudley stood awkwardly to the side speaking in whispers.

"How much trouble are you in?" Dudley questioned.

"More than you could know," Harry muttered.

Dumbledore coughed and the room went silent.

"I heard you were housing a guest?"

"Oh! Sophie! Yes, she's upstairs. She hasn't woken up since we found her and is currently under the care of a house elf." James said pointing to the stairs. The group made their way up to the second floor and walked into the guest bedroom.

Blinky was sitting in a chair by Sophie's bedside and carefully watching for any sign of movement. Sophie was in the same position James had seen her in earlier.

Madame Pomfrey hurried over to the bed and started casting spells to check on Sophie's vitals. Harry moved to the other side of the bed and looked curiously at the small girl.

"What's her name?" Harry asked breaking the silence.

"She said it was Sophronia," Sirius said. "She helped us escape."

The other occupants of the room wanted to question this but Madame Pomfrey shot up from her position.

"Get the floo ready. She needs to get to Mungos and fast. There is severe damage to her magical core." She exclaimed.

James hurried over to the bed and scooped Sophie up into his arms. Remus and Sirius ran ahead to get the floo powder. Harry and Dudley hurried down the stairs after the adults. James practically jumped into the fireplace and was gone in an instant. Lily, Sirius, and Remus followed with Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey close on their tails. Harry and Dudley looked ta each other and shrugged.

"Just throw the powder in and shout St. Mungo's," Harry explained.

Dudley nodded and went through the fireplace with Harry right behind him.

When they got to the hospital, the receptionist was looking very overwhelmed. There was a lady with toad hands to her right and a man with bug eyes to her left. Directly in front of her was Sophie and her entourage. She looked very startled at the fact that James and Sirius, who were proclaimed as missing, were in front of her. Madame Pomfrey stepped to the front and glared at the lady.

"My name is Healer Pomfrey and we have an MCE. What are you gonna do about it?"

The receptionist's eyes widened and she hit a red button on her desk. A siren began to ring and a team of healers flowed out of a door with a stretcher.

"Where is the MCE?" One of the healers asked.

James gently placed Sophie onto the stretcher. As they started wheeling away James asked. "Can we go back with you?"

They were already down the hall when they called out;

"NOPE!"

James sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"What does MCE mean?" Harry asked Madame Pomfrey.

"It means Magical Core Emergency. You see magical cores are where we get our magic from and when they are damaged our magic is damaged but since your magic is connected to us, it can be fatal when something happens to your core." She explained.

"Ok, Harry I believe it is time for you to go back to school," Lily said. Harry opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off. "No arguments. We'll keep you up to date."

"I'll take him with me." Remus volunteered. "I have to go back anyway."

"Thanks Remus. Could you take Dudley with too? I think that we're going to need a bit more time to get everything back together."

"I'll go too." Sirius volunteered.

"Great! Poppy, I don't believe your presence is needed anymore. Why don't you go back to Hogwarts with them?" Dumbledore asked.

Remus lead the way chatting with Madame Pomfrey while Sirius followed slinging his arms on Harry and Dudley.

Dumbledore sat down with Lily and James in the waiting room to wait until Sophie could be seen. They waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Until around midnight, a healer emerged from the emergency unit. He looked like he was trying to hide his surprise when he saw James.

"James Potter? Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes?" James replied.

"The girl is going to be fine."

James released a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"She is actually ready to be seen but before that we have a few questions that we need you to answer." The healer said. "Do you know the girl's name? Even just a first name could help."

"Her name is Sophronia Snow," James replied.

The healer scribbled away on a clipboard.

"Ok, do you know of any family? Maybe a guardian?"

"From what I heard, she is an orphan but I don't know if she has any extended family."

"Where did you find her? Did she seem to exert herself doing any magic?"

James hesitated. He couldn't tell the healer about her being the dark princess. He couldn't tell him about the wandless magic.

"She... She was a prisoner for Voldemort. She had a little bit of accidental magic while we were there and then there was an explosion and we found her unconscious."

The healer finished scribbling notes and nodded.

"Ok, I believe we can enter her room now. Only 3 visitors at a time."

James cautiously opened the door. Sophie looked tiny as she lay on her hospital bed with beeping machines around her. There was a tube going up her nose and an iv plugged into her arm.

"Sophie?" James asked.

Sophie turned her head and looked at James as he walked over to her bedside.

"Mr. Potter?" Sophie asked.

James smiled.

"Yeah, it's me, Sophie. We all escaped."

"Oh good," Sophie said looking over at the other two occupants of the room.

"Hello, Sophie my name is Professor Dumbledore. I am headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where I hope you will attend in a few years."

Sophie smiled. "I hope I can go to sir"

Lily introduced herself and the group talked to Sophie about random things until the healer came in and told them that visiting hours were over.

Harry, Dudley, and Sirius were walking back to the Gryffindor common room. Sirius still had his arms slung around Harry and Dudley's shoulders. They walked through the halls earning gasps and lots of whispers and pointing. For once Harry didn't care because Sirius was right there next to him. When Harry entered the common room, Rona no Hermione were sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace bickering about something or another. They looked up when they heard Harry enter the room. Their jaws dropped when they saw Sirius.

"Look who I found!" Harry said sweeping his hands through the air like a salesperson showcasing their product.

"You're sure he's not an imposter?" Hermione asked.

"Absolutely right Snuffles?"

"I'm definitely Snuffles," Sirius said with a smile.

"Where's your dad Harry?"Ron asked after scanning the room for more unexpected visitors.

"He's still at Mungo's with a little girl that was held prisoner with them," Harry explained.

"Your dads at Mungos? Is he ok?" Hermione asked.

"He's fine Hermione, he just wants to stay with Sophie."

Harry grabbed Dudley and pulled him into conversation with the trio. Sirius smiled at the group and quietly left the room. He whistled as he walked back to Remus' room wondering about the letter he had sent to Megan. He never noticed the black beetle watching him from the wall.

* * *

 **September 31st- Monday- Hogwarts**

Sirius woke up in the morning grateful at he had a large breakfast waiting for him. In the last 2 days, Sirius had only eaten a pumpkin pastie and slice of stale bread. He got up and quietly tiptoed into Remus' room. Remus was awake and was telling his hair down to make sure not one hair was out of place.

"Moony!" Whined Sirius. "Hurry up I'm hungry!"

Remus turned around and rolled his eyes. They made their way down to the great hall and were surprised to find a chair set for Sirius at the head table. They took their seats and were serving themselves when the Owls flew in for at day. A prophet owl dropped the paper at Remus' seat and flew away. Remus opened the paper and sighed as he saw the headline.

* * *

 ** _Black is Back!_**

 _It has been confirmed by yours truly that Mr. Sirius Black is now back to safety! He was spotted at Hogwarts yesterday along with Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, and Dudley Dursley. Where is Mr. James Potter? Well, rumor has it that he is in St. Mungos with life-threatening injuries. We can't confirm this because, St. Mungo's keeps all patient records confidential._

 _Reported by Rita Skeeter_

* * *

Remus sighed and rolled his eyes.

He chucked the paper at Sirius and smiled as he ripped it in half. Then, as the other owls were flying out, a small wobbly little owl flew into the hall. It landed in Sirius' breakfast before shakily standing up. Sirius reached down and took the letter from the poor owl.

* * *

 _Mr. Black,_

 _I was so happy to hear of your safe return and hope that your offer for dinner still stands. Sorry if Melody landed or went potty somewhere she shouldn't have. She's just a baby and I'm still training her._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Megan Woods_

* * *

 _Megan,_

 _Of course the offer for dinner still stands. Anywhere specific you have in mind?_

 _-Sirius Black_

* * *

 _Sirius,_

 _Surprise me._

 _-Megan_

 **A/N- Next Chapter will have lots of Sirius, Megan, James, Lily and Sophie! Hope you enjoyed it. If not well please no flames but if you did please review!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	27. Chapter 29- Family

**October 1st- Monday- Daily Prophet Office**

Megan Wood was packing up her bags for the day when she heard the sound of clicking heels. She turned around and found herself face to face with Rita Skeeter.

"Hello, Megan," Rita said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Good evening Rita. I would really love to stay and talk but I have somewhere to be." Meg replied picking up her purse.

"Oh, and where would that be? Not going to look for a new story I hope? I hope you aren't because I already have a story for the cover tomorrow."

"Another story about Harry Potters love life? No, I have better thins to do. Now excuse me but I really must be going." Megan said walking towards the door. Rita slid in front of her and smiled sickeningly.

"Megan. Don't even try to get the promotion. I have it in the bag and I hope you don't get your newbie hopes up because it's not going to happen." Rita said.

"I wasn't going to try. Now if you will excuse me-"

Both girls were cut off by knocking on the door. Sirius stepped in and glanced at Rita before his eyes fell on Meg.

"Mr. Black!" Rita exclaimed reaching for her quill. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for Meg of course," Sirius said. "She told you she had plans didn't she?"

Rita's eyes bulged and she gaped at the Megan. Megan smirked and grabbed Sirius' hand. Sirius walked out the door but not without one last look at Rita. Her eyes had narrowed to slits and her teeth were gritted. Sirius waved and smiled his most charming smile and walked out the door with Megan.

"So where are we going Mr. Black?" Megan asked stepping in front of her date.

"Well, I saw a nice muggle place around here. Remus told me they sell some good sue-SHEE." Sirius said breaking the word into syllables.

Megan laughed and took Sirius' hand. They walked along the streets of the muggle village and finally found the small sushi restaurant. They ordered some classic sushi rolls because neither of them really knew what to get. They talked and laughed and before they knew it, the check came and dinner was over.

Sirius and Megan walked out of the restaurant gazing into each other's eyes.

"Well, I guess I should walk you home," Sirius said awkwardly.

"No, no, it's fine." Megan protested.

"It's fine, I'd like to know that you got home safe." Sirius insisted.

Megan sighed and nodded. They walked around the town a little bit more before they came to Megan's apartment. Megan buzzed in and walked through the door with her last goodbye to Sirius. Sirus turned around and was about to walk away when Megan called his name. He turned around only to find Megan's lips against his. Thye were soft and tender as they lightly graced his lips before pulling away. Megan smiled slightly and closed the door. Sirius stood staring at the door with a dazed look on his face until a car honked and Sirius snapped out of his daze. He glanced around hoping that no one had seen him and luckily, it seemed that everyone was too busy on small muggle devices (phones) to notice him. He walked down the street until he found an alley to apparate back to Hogwarts. With a small pop, he was gone.

* * *

 **October 1st- Monday- Hogwarts**

Harry was heading up to Dumbledore's office to have another private lesson. Harry walked up the twisting staircase and knocked on the large wooden door. Dumbledore answered and Harry walked in.

"I have called you here today, Harry because there are a few memories that I would like to show you," Dumbledore said.

"What kind of memories sir? Will they help me defeat Voldemort?"

"In a way yes Harry. Now dive into my pensive with me."

Harry and Dumbledore emerged an hour later. Harry was flabbergasted by the amount of horrible things that had happened to Tom Riddle as a child and how messed up his family is.

Harry went to sleep that night thinking about what life could have been like if his family was that awful.

* * *

 **October 2nd- Tuesday- St. Mungo's**

Sophie was sitting in her hospital bed when a healer came in. She had a grim look on her face as she told Sophie that there was some bad news. Sophie looked at her emotionlessly and nodded her head to show that she understood.

"Do you want the Potters to know?" The healer asked gently.

"Yes but I don't want to be there when you tell them." Sophie responded.

The healer nodded and left the room to find Lily and James.

Lily and James were in the cafeteria eating lunch when a healer walked in and scanned the room. When her eyes rested on Lily and James, she quickly walked over.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter? If I could see you in a private room please?" She asked politely.

Lily and James stood up confused. They followed the healer to a private room in a corridor. They sat down in front of the healer's desk and waited as the healer closed the door and sat down.

The healer sighed heavily and cleared her throat.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter my name is Healer Law. I am in charge of MCE's. I have been looking over Sophie lately and trying to figure out how her condition got as severe as it is."

James glanced down at his lap remembering her performance at Lestrange Manor.

"You see, Sophie's magical core is so damaged that it has shut down to recover. We are not sure when or even if it will ever recover." Healer Law said gently.

"What are you saying, Healer?" James asked.

"It means that she's a muggle for the time being," Lily said softly. "That's right, isn't it?"

Healer nodded.

"I can show you diagrams if you want-"

"No that's ok. What's going to happen to Sophie now?" James asked.

The healer looked at the floor and mumbled something as if she knew that they would react badly to the news.

"What was that?" Lily asked.

"She has no living relatives. We did a scan of her dental records and it appears that she is Sophronia Dream Snow. There was an attack where she lived about 1 year ago. Her parents and sister were killed and it appears that her grandparents are dead. She has no aunts, uncles or even a distant cousin she could live with." The healer explained shuffling through her papers.

"So what are you saying?" James asked glaring slightly at the healer.

"The ministry has enough to deal with because of the wizard children that have been orphaned. Since she is technically a muggle, she can be obliviated and sent to a muggle orphanage. If she shows signs of magic, she will go to Hogwarts and then go on with her life from there." Healer Law explained.

"So because her magic is damaged, you are going to erase her memory of the magical world and send her to live in an orphanage?" James said.

"Yes, if you wish to put it that way-"

"I do wish to put it that way," James exclaimed angrily.

"Mr. Potter! Please calm down! This is for Sophies best interest-"

"We'll take her," James said.

Lily and Healer Law gaped at James.

"Umm. Excuse me Healer could James and I talk in the hall really quick?" Lily said grabbing James' arm and pulling him out the door.

"James! What are you saying!" Lily exclaimed once they were out of the room.

"We've always wanted Harry to have a sibling and she's had a rough life. If they put her in an orphanage I can guarantee you she won't be happy." James said.

"James, I think that the healers know what they are doing-"

"No, they don't. I didn't tell them everything that happened at the manor. She's special Lily." James said.

Lily contemplated what James was saying in her mind.

"Please, Flower. This could be the chance we always wanted to have another kid. Think about how happy Harry would be and Dudley too." James said.

Lily softened and sighed.

"Let's go talk to the Healer," Lily said.

They walked back in to find Healer Law shifting through some papers.

"Oh Hello. Now that we are all calmer, what were you saying earlier?" She asked politely.

"We want to adopt Sophie," James said confidently.

The Healer stopped what she was doing and looked into James' eyes. James stared right back at her.

Finally, she smiled. "I hoped you'd say that. Just sign these forms and as long as Sophie agrees and signs her name, you can leave the hospital today as Lily, James, and Sophie Potter."

James and Lily eagerly signed the forms and practically ran to Sophie's room.

"We heard the news," James said walking into the room. "I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah," Sophie said quietly.

"Unless you sign these papers." Lily jumped in handing Sophie the adoption form.

Sophies' eyes widened as she read over the paper.

"You really want me as a daughter?" She asked tearfully.

"Of course. We couldn't let them take you away from us. I think we've grown too attached." Lily said.

Sophie smiled and signed her name at the bottom of the paper.

Healer Law stepped in and said;

"I now pronounce you, Family!"

 **A/N- So just going to put it out there that the Harry and Dumbledore lessons are going to be relatively short. I assume that if you are reading this, you have read the book or at least watched the movies so you should know what the memories are about. I am not going to elaborate on each of the memories but I will say what memories they are going through (ex. Childhood** **memories).**

 **Anyway, if you like it leave a review and be sure to follow the story so you can be reminded when I post. If you can't follow me, I always post on Fridays usually in the afternoon or evening.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	28. Chapter 30- Meeting Dumbledore

**October 2nd- Tuesday- Hogwarts**

Dear Dumbledore,

Could you please come to Potter Manor?

It's urgent.

-James

* * *

James was pacing in front of the fireplace when Dumbledore popped out.

"Hello, James. What's the emergency?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, it's complicated. You see, we adopted Sophie." James said.

"You adopted the child that helped you out of LeStrange Manor?" said Dumbledore.

"Yeah," James said rubbing the back of his head.

When James looked up, Dumbledores eyes were twinkling at full force.

"Well then! Let's go see her!" Dumbledore said.

They walked up the stairs and into Sophie's bedroom where she was helping Lily make her bed.

They had transfigured her hospital gown into a cute green dress. The white dress they had found her in was in the closet.

"Hello, Sophie," Dumbledore said entering the room.

Sophie's eyes widened and she backed up to stand by Lily.

"You came to my house," Sophie whispered.

Dumbledore's brow furrowed and he took a step closer.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Dumbledore said.

"You wanted to take my sister away. To go to a school. Mom and Dad decided to keep her at home because they wanted to stay away from the magical world." Sophie said while looking up at Dumbledore curiously. "There was something special about my sister wasn't there? Other than her being a witch?"

Dumbledore's eyes widened as he started to put the pieces together.

"What was your last name again Sophie?" Dumbledore asked while studying her face.

"Snow. Sophronia Dream Snow."

Dumbledore sighed. He had met Sophie's family and knew that they had been attacked a year ago. He had hoped that she would somehow survive. Now that he knew that Sophie had no living family, it was a confirmation of death.

"I did meet you sister Sophie and there was certainly something special about her. You see your sister was powerful beyond belief. One of the most powerful witches I had ever met in my teaching years but that wasn't what set her apart. You sister could control her magic better than anyone I had ever met adult or child. She could control her magic at such a young age that she didn't need a wand to execute her spells. She just thought of what she wanted to happen and her magic did it for her. In fact, I believe she could have blown up a building." Dumbledore said and crouched down so he was inches from Sophie's face.

They met eyes and Dumbledore performed legilimency. He saw flashes a teenage girl making silly faces with her sister, sisters playing with dolls and sisters hanging out in a treehouse. That was when the images got dark. There was fire and screaming, sisters running away from a burning house and a flash of white.

Suddenly, Dumbledore was pushed out of Sophie's memory. He came back to the real world to find Sophie curled in a corner with her hands over her ears.

"Sophie-" James said.

"No, No Please no," Sophie muttered.

James and Lily looked at each other worriedly.

"James, perhaps it would be better if we stepped outside," Dumbledore suggested.

James nodded and walked out the door with Dumbledore leaving Lily inside to comfort Sophie.

"What did you do sir?" James asked.

"I looked inside her mind trying to find the answer to a theory I have," Dumbledore responded.

"And? What did you see?" James asked.

"All in good time my boy. I still can't be sure if my theory is correct but I'm sure that Sophie will open up at some point. Now I can have Harry and Dudley out of class tomorrow if you wish for them to meet their sister?"

Harry and Dudley! James had completely forgotten about them. He wanted them to meet Sophie but at the same time, he knew that Sophie needed to adjust. Not to mention Harry had been skipping a lot of school and he needed to be in classes.

"I think it would be better if they came over the weekend." James responded.

Dumbledore smiled and nodded before disappearing through the fireplace.

* * *

 **October 3rd- Wednesday- Hogwarts**

Harry and Dudley were walking along the black lake to get to the quidditch pitch when Cho Chang and her friends walked over.

"Hey, Harry. Hi, Dudley." Cho said.

"Hey, Cho," Harry replied.

"Hello," Dudley said awkwardly.

Cho awkwardly smiled and waited for someone to say something. Harry just smiled oblivious as to what Cho wanted. Dudley just awkwardly stared.

Cho raised her eyebrows before waving slightly and walking away. Dudley watched as she walked away thinking about her cute accent and the way her hair glistened in the sunlight.

"Hey, Dudley. Come on. We've got to get to the pitch if we want to practice before dinner."

October 3rd- Wednesday- Hogwarts

"So Harry. What is Hogsmeade?" Dudley asked.

"Well, it's the village that surrounds Hogwarts. It's all magical. We get to go there about once a month to shop or have a dinner outside of Hogwarts. As a matter of fact, this weekends a Hogsmeade weekend. I think I might ask Ginny to go with me." Harry said thoughtfully.

"Can I come?" Dudley asked.

"Oh! I'm sorry Dudley I completely forgot that you don't know your way around yet. I'll just stay with you-"

"No. You go out with Ginny. I'm sure I'll find something to do."

Harry smiled. "Thanks, Big D."

Harry walked into the classroom and left Dudley standing outside of the door. Dudley contemplated going in and staying with Harry but decided to venture out and try to explore a bit. He was walking outside when he spotted Cho sitting alone reading a book. He took a deep breath and walked over to her.

"Hey, Dudley." She said looking up and closing her book. "Where's Harry?"

"Oh, err. He's in class." Dudley said awkwardly.

"Oh."

"Hey, I was uhh wondering if you wanted to show me around Hogsmeade this weekend?" Dudley asked quickly.

Cho's face showed her surprise.

"It's just that Harry's going with Ginny and I don't want to get lost or accidently wander into a shop of-"

"Of course I'll go with you, Dudley. It would be my pleasure." Cho said. "You just surprised me that's all."

Dudley visibly sighed in relief.

"Ok Great. I'll see you on Saturday."

* * *

 **October 3rd- Wednesday- Potter Manor**

Sophie had recovered from her state of terror by the next day. She was still extremely reserved and wouldn't tell Lily and James anything but at least she wasn't shaking in fear.

"I'm going to send Harry a letter asking if he wants to come home this weekend," James said as he was walking up to the office.

"Sounds good!" Lily shouted from the kitchen.

Dear Harry and Dudley,

We have a special guest at the house that I would like you both to meet. Can you come home this weekend? I swear it'll be the last time you have to miss school for a while.

Please reply soon,

-Dad (or Uncle James for you Dudley)

 **A/N- Hey guys! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! I am so excited to share more about Sophie and her past. I have been giving you little hints but I promise the entire story will be revealed soon!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	29. Chapter 31- Romance

_Dear Dad,_

 _Dudley and I can come on Sunday. Who's the guest?_

 _-Harry_

 _Dear Harry,_

 _Can't tell you who the guest is right now, but it will all be explained on Sunday. Have a nice week and see you soon._

 _-Dad_

 _Dear Megan,_

 _I really enjoyed the dinner we had last week. Would you fancy another? I know a nice restaurant we could go to._

 _Hope to hear back soon,_

 _Sirius_

 _Dear Sirius,_

 _I'd love to. Pick me up at 8. My house._

 _Can't wait to see you,_

 _Meg_

* * *

 **October 6th- Saturday- Hogsmeade**

"So, it's alive?" Dudley asked pointing to a chocolate frog.

"No!" Cho laughed. "They are enchanted to do that. Once you bite them, they stop moving."

The pair walked around Honeyduke's for a little longer before leaving to go to the Three Broomsticks. They sat down and ordered hot butterbeer to warm up their hands which were cold from the fall weather. From a few tables away, Harry and Ginny were watching while casually drinking pumpkin juice.

"Your cousin is dating that crybaby?" Ginny asked.

"She's better now. It's been a year since I dated her so I'm sure she's changed." Harry said reasonably.

"Does he know you dated her?"

"I doubt it. I never told him anything about my experience at Hogwarts."

"You're going to have to tell your family at some point, Harry. I mean they'll find out some way. I mean how is Sirius going to explain his death without revealing the fact that you still have scars from the blood quill, led Umbridge to the centaurs, flew thestrals to the Ministry, almost got killed and found out about the prophecy. Not to mention fought Voldemort and Bellatrix LeStrange." Ginny said.

Harry sighed. "I know and I will tell them. I just don't know if I want them to know yet."

"They're your parents Harry! They deserve to know."

"The less they know the better."

"Why Harry? Don't push them away."

Harry stayed silent and took a sip of pumpkin juice. Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes but changed the topic anyway.

* * *

 **October 6th- Saturday- Megan's house**

Meg looked at herself in the mirror.

She was wearing a cozy white sweater that hung off her shoulder along with torn jeans and brown knee high boots. Her hair was braided into a crown around her head and her lips covered in burgundy lipstick. Her eye makeup was minimal although she still wore her signature cat eye and mascara.

The doorbell rang and Meg grabbed her crossbody purse and ran to the door.

Sirius was waiting outside with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his faded black jeans. His leather jacket crinkled as he held out his hand to her.

Meg smiled and placed her hand in his. Sirius gracefully lifted it to his lips and gave it a soft kiss.

"Mademoiselle." He greeted.

"Hello, Sirius." Meg laughed.

"Shall we?" Sirius asked gesturing to a motorcycle.

The pair made their way to the black motorcycle. Megan hopped onto the back and waited as Sirius got on in front of her. He cast a disillusion charm.

"Why'd you do that?" Megan asked.

"You'll see. Now, hang on tight."

They sped through traffic and then, suddenly, Sirius pulled up and the motorcycle rose into the air. Megan squeaked and tightened her grip around Sirius' stomach. Sirius laughed and did a small drop just to scare her. As the time went on, Meg relaxed and leaned herself against Sirius' back. They soared over the clouds and looked down at the city beneath them. They didn't say anything instead they took pleasure in each other's company and enjoyed the scenery.

After an hour of riding through the clouds, Sirius began the descent. They landed in a small town illuminated by a large building at the end of the street. The source of the light was a glowing sign that read 'The Golden Goblet'. The moon shone down on Sirius and Megan as they walked hand in hand down the road towards the restaurant. Fairy lights were strung on the street lights leading to the building. Megan gasped as the sign came into view.

"You brought me to The Golden Goblet?" She asked.

Sirius gave a small nod.

"But it's the most expensive restaurant in all of Britain! The Minister of Magic sometimes dines here! How in the world did you afford it?" Meg exclaimed.

"I'm a Black," Sirius said simply.

Megan just walked awestruck towards the restaurant.

As soon as they walked in, Megan could tell why this place was so expensive. It was two floors of exquisite dining. The family that owned the restaurant was made up of both wizard and muggle people so they wanted to make it assessable for everyone while keeping the magic secret safe. They finally decided on setting a dress code for wizards and having a bit of separation between the two groups so the muggles couldn't overhear wizard conversations. The first floor was mostly muggles. The second floor was strictly for wizards. To get in, you had to have at least one witch or wizard with you and have them present their wand. The entire thing was painted ivory with gold accents and trim. A man dressed in a suit greeted them at the door.

"Reservation?" He asked snottily eyeing Sirius' jacket and choice of a vehicle which was parked outside.

"I believe it's under Black," Sirius said smoothly showing his wand just a tad from inside his jacket.

The servers eyes widened.

"Of course! I'm so sorry Mr. Black. Will you follow me, please? We have you seated on the second floor." The man said suddenly acting much more friendly.

They followed the man upstairs to a red curtain which concealed the wizard tables. The man pulled open the curtain and stepped to the side to allow Sirius and Meg through. He closed the curtain and led them to a secluded table for two right next to a large window. They sat down and Sirius took off his leather jacket revealing a Weird Sisters tee-shirt which looked very out of place in the fancy restaurant. Sirius smiled when he saw her looking at his shirt.

"Do you listen to them?" Sirius asked referring to his shirt.

"I did when I was small but they aren't very popular in America," Meg said.

"Oh," Sirius said confused.

Megan smiled. "I was born in Scotland but my family moved to America when I was 10. I only recently moved back..." She trailed off.

"Why'd you come back?" Sirius asked.

"I needed a change," Megan said with a tone of finality.

Sirius looked at her and sensed that something was off but changed the subject anyway. After all, it was only their second date.

They ordered a plate of cheese and bread while waiting for their main meals. Megan had ordered a plate of beef risotto and side of salad while Sirius had ordered breaded pork chops with a side of soup. A server brought out their drinks in a golden goblet. Sirius had gotten the specialty drink of the night and Meg had gotten the house red wine. They chatted and ate the cheese occasionally taking sips of their drinks. Their main course finally arrived and they dug in hungrily. They ordered lemon sorbet for dessert before arguing over who would cover the bill. Sirius won telling Meg that "A gentleman always pays."

They walked outside and got back onto the motorcycle before taking off into the now pitch black sky. They rode to Megan's house in silence with Sirius glancing back at Meg at times. They finally got to Meg's house where they both stayed on the motorcycle for a while. They didn't talk or move. They just sat. Eventually, Sirius inhaled loudly and got off. He offered his hand to Meg and helped her off of the bike. She smiled and swung her legs over to hop off. Sirius walked her to the door and was about to turn around when Meg called his name.

"Do you want to come in for a bit? You must be thirsty." Meg said holding the door open.

"Sure," Sirius says smiling and walking into the house.

It was a small townhouse with 2 floors. From the entryway, Sirius could see the kitchen and living room along with the stairs to go to the next floor.

"I know it's not much-"

"It's great," Sirius said looking around.

It was true. This little house had a cozy feeling that warmed up your insides. They sat together on a small couch and watched tv while Sirius drank his glass of water and after that, they said goodbye with Meg planting a kiss on Sirius' lips.

 **A/N- Has anyone ever read a series of books, only to be left on a cliffhanger and find out that the next book won't be released for a year? Because that just happened to me and I'm freaking out because I NEED to read it but it's going to be a while until its even available for pre-order. Don't worry because I won't let that happen to you with this fan fiction. I already have ideas forming about sequels and trilogies for this book so expect much more. I plan to make this a three book series called The Mysteries Series. I hope you guys will stick around and keep reading my writing because it makes me very happy when you do.**

 **-Marauderette24**


	30. Chapter 32-Sophie Potter

**October 7th- Sunday- Potter Manor**

* * *

"Now Sophie, remember, I promise that these people won't hurt you ok? It's just my son, Harry and my nephew Dudley. They'll both be living with us and you can call them your big brothers if you want." James explained to Sophie as he was preparing for Harry and Dudley's arrival.

"What if they don't like me?" Sophie asked.

"There is no reason they wouldn't love you," James said.

"I'm the dark princess. I tortured you. If I tortured your dad would you forgive me?"

"Yes. I would and you know why?"

Sophie shook her head.

"Because I know that if my father forgives you, them there would be no reason for me not to forgive you."

Sophie nodded but looked doubtful. James frowned a bit but hid it from Sophie as he left the room. As James was walking down the stairs, the floo activated and Harry and Dudley stepped out.

"Hey, Dad!" Harry said as he walked over to give his dad a hug.

"Hi Uncle James," Dudley said.

James smiled and hugged each of them. The group walked into the living room where Lily was already seated reading a book. She looked up as they came in and a smile graced her lips.

"Hey, boys! How's school?"

Harry and Dudley looked at each other and shrugged. Nothing had really happened at school recently. The Hogsmeade trip had gone well. Dudley and Cho had exchanged smiles and got closer during their tour of Hogsmeade. Harry and Ginny had thrown snowballs at them when they would try to hold hands which left Dudley very embarrassed and Cho a bit puzzled.

"Ok. I know the real reason you're here is to meet out guest." James said getting to the point.

"You already met her but we would like to introduce her in a different way." Lily chimed in.

"One day about a year ago, a village was attacked. In the village lived a girl and her family. The girls family was killed and she was taken as a prisoner to be a weapon for Voldemort. She was given the title Dark Princess and was forced to do a few dark deeds. If she refused she was tortured and threatened. She was only 6 when her village was attacked." .James said

Harry and Dudley sat with gaping mouths.

"What happened to her?" Harry asked.

"She only recently escaped but at a great cost. She suffered from an MCE and is now living as a muggle. Her name is Sophronia and she is the girl you met when we escaped." James said.

Harry and Dudley stared at him.

"Why is she here?" Harry asked.

"Well... That's the part we were going to tell you. You see, her MCE left forced her magic to shut down so she's currently a muggle. The ministry wanted to put her in an orphanage and obliviate her but we couldn't let that happen-" Lily said.

"So we adopted her!" James finished.

Harry and Dudley took a moment to process this. They sat on the couch staring at Lily and James. Finally, Harry's mouth started to turn up into a smile.

"So, I have a sibling? A sister?" Harry said.

Lily nodded smiling.

Harry took off running up the stairs to Sophie's bedroom. It was the same one she had been in when Harry had been here previously so he knew exactly what door to push open.

Sophie was sitting on her bed with wearing casual blue jeans and a purple shirt that Lily had bought her when she had gone out to a small boutique to get her a few clothes. Her hair fell down her shoulders and her eyes showed her fear when Harry burst into the room.

"Hi," Sophie said softly.

Harry walked over to her bed and sat down right next to her.

"Hi. I've met you before but never got the chance to properly introduce myself. My name is Harry and I guess I'm your big brother now."

Sophie looked up at him and nodded quietly.

At that moment, Dudley walked in. He wrung his hands nervously and looked at the floor. Harry waved him over and patted a space on the bed where Dudley could sit. Dudley smiled gratefully and walked over.

"Hi. My name's Dudley and I'm your cousin. What's your name?" Dudley asked.

"Sophronia Dream Snow-Potter but you can call me Sophie," Sophie replied relaxing a bit.

Lily and James watched from the doorway with happy smiles on their face. They had seen the pure joy on Harry's face when he realized that he had a sister. James put a hand on Lily's shoulder and guided her out of the room and shut the door quietly. He would give the kids some time to get to know each other. Lily made some tea and served a cup to herself and James. they sat quietly in each other's company drinking tea and thinking about their wonderful family.

* * *

Upstairs, Harry, Dudley, and Sophie had moved to the floor and Harry was transfiguring some old pieces of parchment he had found the office into toys for Sophie to play with. So far he had made a stuffed stag, dog and wolf. Sophie loved them all but especially loved the stag.

The new siblings and cousins talked about casual things like quidditch, which Harry had to explain to Sophie, and funny things about Lily, James or Sirius.

Sophie really enjoyed herself and found that she stopped worrying about the Dark Lord while she was in the company of Harry and Dudley. They said goodnight and said they would visit in the morning befoe they left for school. She got into bed with her new stuffed animals and thought about everything on her mind.

She didn't know how much Lily and James had told them and dreaded being asked about her past. She knew that she would have to tell her new family sometime. Especially now that people would want to know the details on how she escaped and how she exerted herself so much without being trained to do so. She thought about how Dumbledore had looked into her mind. The memories were still fresh. She had nightmares about the attack. The flames, the screams, the one white light that changed her life.

Sophie shook her head to come back to reality. She would tell them sometime, but until then she would remember the fun she had had with her new family in the short time she had been with them.

 **A/N- Ugh. Sophie is so close to smiling the entire story! I'm just trying to come up with how to get her started. I know a lot of people want to know so don't worry. The wait is getting shorter. I'm going to be skipping through some days because I want the story to start moving a bit faster and in order to do so, I want to fast forward a bit. I have a lot planned for little Sophie and Harry as far as a brother sister relationship. I also want to include a little more on Dudley's life. Anyway, sorry for blabbing. I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **-Maruderette24**


	31. Chapter 33-Halloween

**October 31st- Tuesday- Potter Manor**

"Lily! Sophie! Come on! We've got to get to headquarters!" James yelled.

Lily and James had decided that with their new extended family it would be more logical to make Potter Manor their permanent home. They were heading to Grimmauld Place to see Dumbledore before he left for the Halloween feast at Hogwarts. It would be Sophie's first time meeting the Order. She was still very timid and it was apparent that she was still adjusting to the fact that she wasn't a prisoner anymore. Lily and James were hesitant to take her out of Potter Manor because James was sure that Voldemort would be after her after the stunt she pulled at Lestrange Manor.

Sophie and Lily walked down the stairs to where James was waiting for him. Sophie was dressed in a fairy costume that Lily bought the other day. She had charmed the wings to work just like real ones would and Sophie flew gracefully down the steps with the train of her white and pink ombre dress drifting behind her.

She smiled brightly as she landed beside James.

"How do I look?" She asked twirling around.

"Magical," James replied.

He turned to look at the staircase where Lily was still walking down. She was wearing a green dress with a small black belt around her waist. Her red hair was tied back into a low bun emphasizing the gold masquerade mask that she was wearing. Lily smiled as she walked down. Once she reached the bottom she walked over to James and gave him a quick peck on the cheek while handing him a silver mask.

"Ready?" Lily asked.

James nodded as he put his mask on. He rechecked the wards on the house before walking over to the fireplace. Lily and Sophie went first and James followed.

When they got to headquarters, they were greeted by festivities. There was a table with punch and candy along with a few questionable food items. The ceiling and walls had been decked out in orange and black streamers and balloons. There were a few other enchantments set up to scare people courtesy of the Weasley twins. The Order had organized it so that all of the men were wearing silver masks and the women were wearing gold masks. Of course there were a few exceptions to this (Moody argued that it would interfere with his magical eye and Snape outright refused) but for the most part, everyone was having fun with them.

Sirius was the first to greet them. His silver mask was complimented by navy blue robes.

"Hey Prongs, Lilyflower!" Sirius said as he approached them. He crouched down so he was eye-level with Sophie.

"And how is the newest member of the family?" He asked.

"I'm good Uncle Sirius. Do you like my costume?" Sophie asked. She was less shy with Sirius since he had been to the house so many times.

"I love it!" Sirius replied grinning.

James put a hand on Sophie's shoulder and guided her around to meet everyone. She loved seeing Tonks change her hair and features especially when she would mimic Sophie. Molly scared her a bit with her large bear hugs and overwhelming motherly actions. Then they got to Snape. James immediately glared but Lily put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a meaningful look. James rolled his eyes but walked with Sophie towards the Weasley twins.

Snape didn't say anything.

"Severus," Lily said nodding curtly at him.

"Lily," Snape said.

He opened his mouth to say something but Lily cut him off.

"Look. The only reason I'm even speaking to you is because you helped save my son. I haven't forgotten what you did and said back in school. I am giving you this chance to redeem yourself but this is your last chance. Are we clear?" Lily said.

Something flashed in Snape's eyes. He closed his mouth and nodded. Lily gave him one last nod before turning and going to talk to Molly.

* * *

Meanwhile, James and Sophie were hanging out with the Weasley twins.

"So how's business going?" James asked.

"It's great!" Fred said.

"We've been thinking about opening up another location-" George said.

"But we aren't sure where yet." Fred finished.

Sophie laughed at the way they finished each other's sentences.

"You know I was a prankster growing up," James said.

Fed and George looked at each other.

"You know-"

"You look to be about the right age-"

"To know a few of our idols."

"Did you happen-"

"to know-"

"Who the Marauders were?" The twins finished together.

James laughed and called Sirius over.

"Hey, Sirius. Do we know of anyone called the marauders?" James asked.

Sirius laughed heartily and threw his head back.

"Hey, Remus! Come over here!" Sirius yelled over his shoulder.

Remus walked over cautiously. He saw the mischievous glint in James and Sirius' eyes.

"Do you know of anyone called the Marauders?" James asked him.

Remus smiled.

"Well, I knew that the most awesome one always spent all his time in the library and had some pretty tasty chocolate. I think they called him Moony."

Sirius and Jams shook their head as Fred and George leaned closer.

"No. I think the coolest one was the star chaser on the quidditch team. He won so many house cups with his team and all the girls always chased him. His name was Prongs." James said.

"No way. That guy only had eyes for one girl. The best one was the ladies man who had a different girl every week and was the best-looking guy at Hogwarts. His name was Padfoot." Sirius said.

"So who were they?" George asked.

"Can we meet them?" Fred asked.

"Why do you want to meet them so badly?" Sophie asked.

"They're our idols!" George said.

"Their map helped us all the time!" Fred said.

"We owe them everything!" George said.

"They are our KINGS!" They both exclaimed.

The marauders laughed.

"Well, in that case, we should probably tell them shouldn't we Padfoot?" James said looking at Sirius.

"I agree Prongs. What do you think Moony?" Sirius asked looking at Remus.

"Well, we couldn't resist the fans can we?" Remus said winking at the twins.

Fred and George's mouths fell open and the gaped at the laughing marauders.

"You're the Marauders?" They asked.

When they nodded, the twins bowed down. (Not fell onto the floor kneeling bow just a bend at the waist)

"We are your loyal pranking servants and we request help to become great."

Normally this would have caused a lot of attention but, since it was a party, no one noticed.

"Stand up guys," Remus said.

"We were taught by a marauder and we never knew," Fred said breathlessly.

Sirius found this hilarious and told the twins about how they used to tease him about becoming a professor. James and Sophie and quietly snuck away to go see Dumbledore. Lily saw them and joined them in the drawing room where it was quieter. A few moments after, Dumbledore walked in.

"Hello, James, Lily, Sophie. How are you this evening?" He asked sitting on one of the sofas.

"We're great professor," Lily replied.

Dumbledore turned to Sophie.

"Now, Sophie before we even start I want you to know that we only want to help you. We just want to understand and possibly use some of your information on Voldemort." He said.

Sophie nodded doubtfully.

"I'll give you my memories but only if Harry can watch them too."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.

"Well then it is set! We shall finally learn the story of Sophie Potter!"

 **A/N- Sorry for not updating. I feel like I say that a lot but this time I had the chapter complete and I had grammar checked it but, my internet shut down and I couldn't publish anything. Also I'm sick and don't really feel like doing much but, here you go! All done! Sorry it's late but it's here. Also before you comment saying that Lily and James wouldn't want to party because it was the anniversary of their death, think about it this way. They have a new child and they have Dudley and Harry as well. They are making happier memories to cover up the bad things that have happened on that day.**

 **I'll update soon,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	32. Chapter 34-Sophie's Story

_Dear Harry,_

 _Last time pulling you out school, we promise. We're going to view Sophie's memories and she wants you there. Could you bring Dudley too please? Go to Dumbledore's office on Saturday and floo to Potter Manor._

 _-Mom and Dad_

* * *

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _Tell Sophie I'll be there._

 _-Harry_

* * *

 **November 4th- Saturday- Potter Manor**

 _'Why are you doing this to yourself?'_ Sophie thought as she walked with James, Lily, and Dumbledore towards the living room.

Harry and Dudley popped out of the fireplace as they sat down.

"Hey Sophie!" Harry exclaimed as he stepped out of the fireplace.

Sophie ran into his open arms and gave him a tight hug. She then turned to Dudley and gave him a hug. The three sat down on the couch.

"Well, now that everyone's here let's get started!" Dumbledore announced.

Sophie looked close to tears as Dumbledore approached her. His eyes lacked their usual shine and he frowned as he walked towards her. She looked up at him her eyes dark and gleaming with tears.

"Do you know how to extract you memories Sophie?" Dumbledore asked.

Sophie slowly nodded.

"Could you lend her your wand Harry?"

Harry nodded as he took out his wand from his pocket and handed it to Sophie. Sophie took it into her hands gently and looked around at the room. They all stared at her waiting for her to move. To do something. All except Harry. Harry didn't stare instead he moved closer to Sophie and wrapped his arm around her, looking at her questioningly. Sophie met his eyes and shakily raised the wand to her temple. A single tear ran down her face as she pulled the wand away taking her memories with it. Dumbledore held the pensieve out to Sophie. Sophie placed the memories into the pensieve and watched as they swirled around before settling.

Sophie released a ragged breath and handed the wand back to Harry. He tucked it back into his pocket and then looked at his parents. They looked tense and were gripping hands tightly. Dudley was sitting in a chair next to the couch.

Sophie stood up first. She approached the bowl of swirling memories with frightful eyes. The other occupants of the room followed her. They all closed their eyes as they dunked their head into the pensieve.

When they opened their eyes, they were in a field of wildflowers.

* * *

 _"Sarah!" Past Sophie called as she raced through the flowers towards a teenage girl. The girl was wearing a red sundress with a casual jean jacket. Her wavy hair was tied back in a low messy bun with a few strands hanging down in front. A glittering diamond ring sat on her finger. Her makeup was minimal, it was hard to tell whether her curly eyelashes were fake or if her cheeks naturally had a pink tinge to them._

 _"Hey, Sophie! How was school?" The teenager, Sarah, asked._

* * *

 _'_ So that's who she was thinking of in her sleep' James thought to himself remembering when Sophie was sleeping.

* * *

 _"It was good but I wish you could go with me," Sophie said._

 _"You know I can't Soph. In a few years, you'll be abe to stay home and study with me ok?"_

 _"That's so far away! I want to learn magic-"_

 _"SHHH. Sophie remember we can't talk about that outside of the house ok?" Sarah reminded her looking around for possible listeners._

 _"Sorry," Sophie whispered._

 _Luckily, there were no one other than some of Sophie's friends and they were out of hearing distance._

 _Sophie's friends were running towards them. The leader of the group was a girl named Charlotte. She had frizzy light brown hair that flowed down her back and long side swept bangs. Her face was angular and her left eye was partially covered by her hair. Her eyes were a dark hazel and they sparkled with mischief and humor. Behind her were two boys._

 _The boy closest to Charlotte was named Conner. He had the same color hair as Charlotte but it wasn't frizzy at all. His hair fell flat on his head with some of it flopping onto his face. His face was soft and rounded. His brown eyes had a friendliness to them that made him very likable._

 _The last boy in the group was Alexander. He had an angular face like Charlotte with dark brown hair that he spiked upwards. His gray eyes were complimented by dark eyebrows._

 _"Hey Sarah!" said Charlotte as she slowed to a stop near Sophie._

 _"Hey, Charlotte. How are you today?"_

 _"Annoying." Replied Conner who had caught up._

 _"I'm sorry. Ignore my younger brother." Charlotte said turning to glare at Conner._

 _"Might I remind you that I'm older than both of you," Alexander said smirking._

 _"Shut up bro," Charlotte mumbled slapping Alex on the arm._

 _"Well, we'll see you guys later. Come on Sophie. It's time to go inside. Mom and Dad need us to do our chores." Sarah said laughing at the sibling's antics._

* * *

 _"Sarah! Come on I want to go see the owls!" 6-year-old Sophie said pulling her sister towards the pet store. Sophie looked almost the same as she did in the present but there was a childlike whimsical glow that she didn't have anymore. Her hair was shoulder length and rather messy and her eyes sparkled more._

 _"Ok Sophie. Give me a minute." Sarah said stumbling to catch up._

 _The two sisters walked into the pet store. Sophie ran towards the owls and was gently stroking their feathers. The shop owner laughed as he saw Sophie's enthusiasm. Sarah smiled at him as she went to stand by her sister. Sarah stayed near Sophie but moved more towards the cats._

 _Then, all of a sudden, screams were heard outside. Sarah whipped her wand out and looked outside. About a dozen death eaters had apparated into the alley and were setting fire to some of the businesses. Sarah looked back at Sophie who was wide eyed. She picked up Sophie and set her behind the counter._

 _"Stay down! Cover you heads! I'll be back!" Sarah shouted to the shop owner who was grabbing Sophie and pulling her under the counter._

 _Sarah ran outside and joined the swarm of adults that had gathered to fight the death eaters._

 _"Augumenti Maxima!" She shouted directing the flow of water towards the fires that were raging near the shops. People were running and screaming as they fled to get out of the battle. Now a mere 5 people were fighting back. No aurors had arrived yet and there hadn't been a lot of people in the alley because they were scared since Voldemort had recently shown himself to the public._

 _The death eaters outnumbered the people fighting back. Sarah stood for a moment taking in the burning buildings and bodies on the ground. Then her eyes focused and she started casting spells at the death eaters like it was nothing. She weaved and flipped out of the way of oncoming spells. Death eaters started falling from her powerful stunning spells. She soon found herself in a one-on-one duel with a masked death eater. They dueled for a bit with Sarah trying to stick with defensive spells and the death eater shooting killing curses. He sent a cutting curse her way and it grazed her arm. She hissed as blood seeped through her torn shirt. She sent a full body bind towards the death eater and as he fell, she heard children's screams._

 _Sarah turned to look at the direction it was coming from and saw one of the last burning buildings. People were outside screaming for help and trying to get closer but kept having to back away from the flame. Sarah ran over and immediately cast a huge shield around the entire building. Then she swung her wand as if she was directing the wind and started a whirlwind of air to suffocate the smoke and fire. Then she suddenly jerked her hands downward and the whirlwind of fire, smoke, and air disappeared. She then canceled the shield and watched happily as a young mother emerged with her two children. A man from the crowd ran to them and embraced them. Sarah smiled and started to walk back to the pet store. Sarah walked in covered in soot and blood. She ran over to Sophie and grabbed her in a hug._

 _"Sarah... What did you do?" Sophie asked examining her sisters cut._

 _"Just the usual," Sarah said smiling at her sister. "Now. Let's go home."_

* * *

 _"Seraphina Angelina Snow! What happened? Why in the name of Merlin are you bleeding?" A woman yelled as Sophie and Sarah entered the room._

 _"There was an attack on the alley mom," Sarah explained._

 _Sarah's mom, Mary, bustled around grabbing various potion ingredients and her wand._

 _"Dittany...murlap. Episky!" Mary shouted slathering on the dittany and murlap and pointing her wand at Sarah's cut._

 _Sarah inhaled sharply as the wound closed._

* * *

 _Sophie was sitting on her bed with her eyes closed. The room was dark but they could hear voices._

 _"I've told you before Dumbledore! She's not going to Hogwarts!" Mary yelled._

 _"I just wanted you to reconsider. We both know her power and potential. It was safe for her to stay here but now that Voldemort's death eaters have witnessed her power, we can't be sure that they won't come after her-" Dumbledore said._

 _"I respect you sir but my daughter isn't leaving. We have been training her just fine and we feel that it is safest for her to stay somewhere less obvious than Hogwarts." A new male voice said._

 _Dumbledore sighed._

 _"I suppose I can't change your mind. I just want you to remember that her place at Hogwarts will always be open if you want it. I assume that you have taught her magicous transferous?" Dumbledore asked._

 _"It was one of the first spells she learned." The male voice replied._

 _"Good. Stay safe. If you ever need anything, just floo call." Dumbledore said._

* * *

 _"Come on Sarah! I want to go play with the triplets!" Sophie said tugging Sarah down the sidewalk._

 _"Hold on Sophie. I thought I heard something." Sarah said stopping._

 _Sure enough, there were small pops heard all around them. Then an almost invisible shield started to surround the village. Sarah's eyes widened and she grabbed Sophie's hand tightly. She whipped out her wand and held it out in front of her, no longer caring if anyone saw her._

 _"It's an anti-apparation ward! Quick Sophie. We have to get to the treehouse."_

 _The sisters started bolting for the treehouse where they had spent so much time playing in. Once they got there Sarah started closing windows and trying to apparate._

 _"It's too strong Sophie!" Sarah said panicking._

 _She suddenly turned towards the window and hesitantly pulled the curtain back just enough to see their house. Her hand covered her mouth as she let out a choked sob._

 _The sisters once beautiful and clean home had been set on fire. Screams were heard from the inside._

 _"Aguamenti! Aguamenti!" She cried desperately._

 _Sophie was looking out of the other window. Her entire village was wrecked. Friends and neighbors lay dead in the street with a stunned expression on their faces. Houses being broken into by death eaters. Spells being cast everywhere. Fires. Explosions._

 _Sophie turned to Sarah helplessly._

 _"What's happening Sarah?" Sophie asked crying._

 _"They've come. They came for me." Sarah said turning away from the window. Suddenly she seemed to realize something. "Sophie you have to run. They only want me. Get out of here and go to Dumbledore. He can keep you safe. Please. There's nothing we can do about mom and dad." Sarah said._

 _"What about Charlotte? And Alex and Conner? What's happening Sarah?"_

 _"Sophie. I will love you forever and always, ok? Now listen to me-"_

 _Laughter was heard outside over the chaos. Footsteps. Excited voices._

 _Sarah quickly grabbed Sophie and pulled her into the corner farthest from the door. Sarah pressed her finger to her lips signaling for Sophie to stay quiet. Sarah wrapped her arms around Sophie who had closed her eyes. As she opened her eyes, Death eaters burst through the door. Sarah jumped up with her wand raised. Her wavy hair cascaded down her back and blew backward as the death eaters raised their wands. Her eye makeup was smeared across her face and soot from the fires had covered her arms but Sarah stood up tall and kept the fear from her face._

 _"What do we have here?" A death eater asked trying to move closer._

 _Sarah pointed her wand towards him and moved so she blocked him._

 _"I just want to know who that is behind you pretty."_

 _"Leave her alone." Sarah replied her voice shaking._

 _"Oh. Do you care about her? I had no idea!" The death eater said sarcastically while twirling his wand between his fingers. "That changes...Nothing. Avada Kadavra!" He shouted while suddenly pointing his wand at Sophie. Sarah quickly reached her arm back and pushed Sophie out of the way._

 _"SOPHIE! SOPHIE RUN!" Sarah screamed while shooting spells at the death eaters that were climbing into the treehouse. She was using spells that were so complicated it was thought that only Dumbledore knew how to cast them. Death eaters shot killing curses, torture curses and casual disarming curses at her. Sarah flipped, jumped and ducked as she was taught to do very young. A torture curse hit her and for a moment Sarah fell to the ground and shook in pain and then it was over and an odd sensation filled her head._

 _'Kill your sister.' a voice said._

 _'Why?' Sarah asked._

 _'Just do it.'_

 _Sarah raised her wand but then a voice penetrated through her thoughts._

 _"SARAH!"_

 _Sarah quickly snapped out of it. "GO SOPHIE!" She screamed as the death eater that had put the imperius curse on her shot a killing curse at Sophie._

 _Sophie managed to move out of the way only to be grabbed by another death eaters. She screamed and kicked as the death eater held his wand to her head. Sarah froze. The death eaters pointed their wands at her._

 _"Let her go. Let Sophie go and you can kill me just let Sophie go." Sarah said._

 _"Let's see what our Lord thinks." A masked death eater said laughing._

 _Just then Lord Voldemort himself walked into the treehouse. The death eaters bowed except for one who kept his wand trained on Sarah and the other who was holding Sophie._

 _"My Lord." Said the death eater who was guarding Sarah._

 _"Well done Charles," Voldemort replied walking closer to Sarah who was breathing heavily._

 _"Hello Seraphina. I've heard a lot about your powers."_

 _"Let go of my sister," Sarah said. "Let go of Sophie and you can kill me."_

 _"You see that's the problem. I don't want to kill you. I just want you to join our cause."_

 _Sarah seemed to think for a moment before she quietly whispered "Magicous Transferous" and suddenly directed her wand at the wall of the treehouse._

 _From there everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The death eater closest to her, Charles, attempted to stun her but instead just made her dodge which redirected her wand. Sarah's eyes widened as she realized that her wand was pointed at Sophie. The white light left her wand before she could redirect it._

 _"SOPHIE MOVE!" Sarah screamed hysterically as she dropped to her knees._

 _Voldemort raised his wand angrily._

 _"SARAH!" Sophie screamed._

 _"Avada Kadavra!" Voldemort said._

 _The green light hit Sarah as the white light hit Sophie._

 _One last tear fell from Sarah's eye as she crumpled to the ground. Sophie was crying hysterically and clawing at the death eater that held her back._

* * *

Present Sophie had run out of Harry's embrace and was sobbing hysterically on the floor next to dead sister.

* * *

 _All of a sudden a shock of electricity seemed to run up the death eater's arm and he fell to the floor. Sophie immediately ran to her sister and kneeled by her side._

 _"Sarah. Sarah wake up." Sophie muttered helplessly._

 _She was vaguely aware of Voldemort and the death eaters that were surrounding her. Her vision began to blur and Sophie realized that the floor was coming closer to her face before everything went black._

 **A/N- Hi guys. I really have no excuse as to way this is late except that I'm really lazy and I just never got around to writing. I hope the longer length of the chapter makes up for it though. What did you think of Sophie's backstory? I am super excited about it. I hope you enjoyed it and see you next week!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	33. Chapter 35-New Member

**November 5th- Sunday- Hogwarts**

"So, what was the spell Dumbledore?" asked Lily as she sat in the headmaster's office with James and Dumbledore.

"It is a little-known spell called Magicous Transferous. It essentially takes your power from you magical core and transfers it to where ever you point our wand. The only problem is that by taking your magic you severely damage your magical core and it weakens you or in extreme cases, kills you. It was taught to Sarah because of her power. I had always feared that Voldemort would target her so I told her parents to teach her the spell just in case of emergency. The thought was that if he ever wanted to use her power for evil, she could perform the spell and direct it at nothing, therefore, vanishing her power. I think that Sarah was trying to aim at the wall but her wand got redirected to point at Sophie."

"So you're saying that all of Sarah's magic got transferred to Sophie and that's why he took her prisoner?" James asked.

"That is my hypothesis but I can't be sure unless Sophie confirms it and I don't want to force her into anything right now."

"Thank you, sir. We better get home now, Sophie is with Sirius."

"Yes, please tell me of any updates."

"Of course sir." They said as they stepped into the fireplace.

* * *

 **November 6th- Monday- Hogwarts**

"So her everyone she knew was killed?" Hermione asked as her, Harry and Ron were walking to class.

"As far as we know Sophie has no living friends or family." Harry clarified.

"That's awful! I mean to lose everything and then to be a prisoner for a year, I can't imagine!" Hermione exclaimed as they walked into the transfiguration classroom.

The trio took their usual seats and waited for McGonagall to arrive.

Meanwhile, Dudley was exploring the corridors by himself. He had his hands in his pockets and his expression curious as he viewed the magical portraits.

"Hello Dudley." a voice said from behind him.

Dudley turned around to see Cho Chang. Her black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and a Ravenclaw scarf was wrapped around her neck loosely.

"Oh Hello, Cho. How are you?" Dudley asked.

"Pretty good. What are you doing roaming the corridors by yourself?"

"Well, I was going to stay at the Potters but it will be the full moon this weekend and Aunt Lily figured that it'd be better if there were fewer people around when Uncle Remus came back." He conveniently left out that Sophie was at home. The family wasn't ready for the press to be swarming around trying to see the new Potter child.

"Oh."

"So any plans for the weekend?" Dudley asked.

"No actually. My friends are all going to Hogsmeade with their boyfriends so I'm probably going to do a lot of studying."

"Well, I was wondering if we could hang out? I feel bad always following Harry around and I had such a good time with you at Hogsmeade so..."

"Yeah, of course! I would love to!"

"Ok great! We can still study or whatever you want to do but I was thinking that we could stop by the kitchens and grab something to eat?"

"It sounds great. Meet me at the library at noon on Saturday." Cho said happily.

"I'll be there" replied Dudley.

They said goodbye and Dudley started to walk towards Harry's classroom.

* * *

 **November 10th- Friday- Meg's House**

Sirius trotted up the walkway of his girlfriend's house. They had been going out for about a month and Sirius had finally asked Dumbledore for permission to invite her to join the Order. He realized that she wasn't fully trained but the Order was desperate for new members and Sirius trusted her enough to try and ask her to join.

He knocked on the door and smiled as Meg walked out. She was wearing red jeans and a white v-neck shirt. Golden feathers dangled from her ears and she was wearing brown booties on her feet.

She walked up to him and raised her heels just enough to plant a kiss on Sirius.

"Hey, Sirius." She said. "Where to today?"

"I was thinking that we could go on a little adventure. You trust me right?" Sirus asked looking into her eyes.

"Yes, why wouldn't I?" She asked hesitantly.

Sirius just smiled and lead her to his motorcycle. She hopped on eagerly and grabbed his waist when he sat down. The couple took off through the night and soared over the city. Then, Sirius took an unexpected turn away from the city. Soon they were above a forest and Meg was very confused when Sirius started to descend.

"Where are we Sirius?"

"You'll see."

They hopped off of the motorcycle. Sirius grabbed Megan's hand and smiled down at her. He lead her up a hiking path full of roots and branches.

"Sirius? It's starting to get dark. Where are we going?" Meg asked worriedly.

"I know it's somewhere around here..." Sirius mumbled.

Then he pushed back one last branch to find a wide open field. Meg found it beautiful but as she looked closer she realized that it was a cliff.

"Sirius?" She asked looking at him worriedly.

He looked at her and gave her a kiss.

"Trust me. Take my hand and jump-"

Meg pulled back but Sirius spun her closer.

"I promise we'll be fine." He said.

Meg looked at him and they met eyes. She stared at him long and hard before sighing and nodded slightly. Sirius smiled and grabbed her hand tighter. Then he ran. Meg was running right beside him and was now looking at the edge of the cliff in dread but she trusted Sirius. The edge of the cliff got closer and closer and Meg slowed down a bit but Sirius just tightened his grip on her hand and flashed her one of his signature smiles. She took a deep breath and jumped. Sirius was still holding her hand as she fell. They were falling right beside each other. Their hands stretched out as the cool autumn breeze blew around them. Meg realized that there was a lake under them.

 _'We're going to drown!'_ She thought to herself.

Just then Sirius yanked his arm and spun her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. Meg squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the impact of hitting the water but it never came. She hesitantly opened her eyes and looked around questioningly at her new surroundings. The grass was blue and swayed slightly in the breeze. There was a lake with pure, clear water to her right and it looked like they were in the middle of the forest. The sun was just setting but instead of casting an orange glow, it cast a more purple or pink glow.

Meg suddenly realized that Sirius was still standing right next to her.

"What is this place? Why are we here? How is this even possible?"

Sirius laughed.

"It's the fairy land. This is where all the fairies and pixies live. It's just hidden so that no one will come and harm them. They live in the forest so it's ok if we just stay here."

Meg looked around in wonder and then met eyes with Sirius. He only grinned.

"You still haven't answered my question. Why are we here?"

"I have a question to ask you but I had to make sure that you were the person I was looking for."

Meg scrunched her eyebrows together and tilted her head. Sirius smiled and grabbed her arm to sit her down next to the lake.

"The Order is real Meg. It's real and we're looking for new members. We want you to join."

Meg gasped and her eyes widened.

"So you had me jump off a cliff?!" She asked in a raised voice.

Sirius just laughed and shrugged.

"We had to test you to make sure that you were someone who would take the risks and trust your teammates," Sirius said leaning closer to her. "You passed."

Meg blushed and turned her head to face Sirius. Her blue eyes transfixed him and he leaned in to kiss her. Meg smiled against his lips.

"I'll join."

 **A/N- Hi guys long time no see! I know, the last few weeks have been very busy for me and I just haven't had the time or inspiration to write. I feel like I was putting quantity over quality because I didn't want to leave you guys without a chapter. I would always be rushing at the end of the week to get a chapter up but now that I've stopped for a minute to give myself a chance to really put the thought and effort into the story, I like it a lot better. The chapters are longer and I just enjoy it more. So I've decided to update every other week on Friday. That way I'm not leaving you guys without a chapter for too long but I'm also giving myself the time to really boost the quality.**

 **Anyway, with that out of the way, I have a question for you guys. Could you recommend a fan fiction for me to read? I really want to read a new one but I can't find any. I am looking for something that's _not _ rated M but it could be any length less than 60 chapters. So comment your favorite in a review please!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	34. Chapter 36-Dates and Necklaces

**November 11th- Saturday- Hogwarts**

* * *

Dudley woke up in the boys dormitory to find that all the other boys were still asleep. He stood up and looked up at his cousin's bed which was right above his.

"Harry. Harry wake up." He whispered as he shook his cousin.

"What Dud?" Harry said barely looking at him.

"Let's go train. I'm bored."

Harry grunted but started to get up anyway. The two boys got ready and then started to head to the room of requirement. It changed into a large workout room with a pool, exercise machines, and a few fighting dummies. Harry immediately started towards the dummies while Dudley went towards the weights. Harry was dueling pretty hard with the dummy on the magical setting. Harry eventually shot three stunning spells and then finished off with a disarming spell. He then moved onto the muggle setting and practiced his fighting skills.

Pretty soon the boys were getting tired and sweaty so Harry suggested that they take a swim. They got changed and then jumped into the pool. Dudley was surprised to see that his cousin was very muscular. While Dudley had lost some weight, he was still the chubby boy he had been for his whole life. Harry, on the other hand, had developed his muscles by playing quidditch.

"Race you to the other side," Harry exclaimed.

Dudley smiled. "You're on!"

The two swam through the water splashing and trying to stop each other from getting there. Soon it was more of a pool party than a race. The room supplied them with water guns and pool noodles to use against each other. They were splashing and playing in the water until they had to stop because they were laughing so hard.

"So what are you doing today Harry?" Dudley asked leaning against the side of the pool.

"I'm going to Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione. Ginny's going to be going with some of her other friends. What about you? Do you want to come with?"

"No thanks. I've actually got a date with Cho." Dudley replied happily.

Harry's eyes widened.

"Oh. Well, enjoy. What time are you meeting her?" Harry asked.

"Noon. Speaking of what time is it right now?"

Harry cast a tempus charm and his eyes widened as he read the time.

"It's 11:45!" Harry exclaimed jumping out of the pool. "I'm supposed to meet Ron and Hermione in 15 minutes!"

"11:45? I need to meet Cho in 15 minutes!"

The boys ran into the changing room that the room had provided and quickly changed out of their swimsuits. Harry ran out wearing a pair of black jeans with his Gryffindor sweater vest and tie. Dudley came out right behind him in a pair of blue jeans and a gray hoodie. The boys were running through the halls and then came to the corridor where they split up.

"Good luck Big D!" Harry shouted running towards the door.

Dudley flashed him a smile and ran towards the library. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw the door and slowed down. He ran a hand through his still damp hair and pushed open the door.

He glanced around the room looking for Cho and he spotted her sitting in the corner reading a book. He smiled and walked over. As he got closer Cho looked up and smiled at him.

"Hey Dudley. How are you?" She asked gesturing for him to sit down.

"Pretty good. My cousin and I were just messing around a bit. That's why my hair is a bit wet."

Cho laughed. To Dudley, it sounded like jingle bells.

"So what are you reading?" He asked.

"It's a book for muggle studies actually. Maybe you could help me? I have to write an essay about the muggle schooling system."

Dudley looked closer at the book and realized that it was just a math textbook.

"I'd love to but first, could you show me where you found that book?"

Cho stood up and walked to a small corner of the library. Dudley saw English textbooks and math workbooks that he recognized from when he still went to a muggle school. He grabbed a few for his grade level and then smiled at Cho.

"Now, what does this essay have to cover?"

The couple sat and talked about Dudley's old school and Dudley explained to Cho what he had learned. Dudley even started to look through the books that he had grabbed so that he could keep up with his school work. They started to get hungry so Dudley and Cho checked out their books and headed towards the kitchen.

"So how exactly do you expect to get in?" Cho asked as they got closer.

"Harry taught me." Dudley said.

Dudley tickled the pear and held it open for a shocked Cho.

They feasted on the food that the house elves provided and just talked about their pasts.

"So what was it like? Finding out that your cousin was a hero?"

Dudley sat there and looked at her oddly.

"Hero? Just because he's popular doesn't mean he's a hero." Dudley stated.

Now it was Cho's turn to look confused.

"No, Dudley, Harry really is a hero. Haven't you heard of your cousins past? He is the most famous wizard in our world and is destined to defeat you-know-who!"  
Suddenly everything started to fit into place. Harry being popular, the nicknames and Harry's ability to duel.

"He's never gone too in-depth. Would you like to explain more?" Dudley said casually but inside he was curious about why Harry hadn't told him or the rest of his family.

Cho hesitantly told Dudley the tale of all the trouble and adventure that Harry got into during his life at Hogwarts. Eventually, the two looked at the time and realized that it was time for them to head back to their common rooms.

As Dudley walked back to Gryffindor common room he thought about his cousin. How he had treated him when he came home for break for all those years. Harry had never done anything bad to him and Dudley still treated him like crap. He thought about all the times that he had seen Harry's cuts and bruises but never said anything. Harry always came back depressed and injured but his family made it even worse for him. Dudley pushed open the portrait hole and made his way to his dorm.

* * *

 **November 11th- Saturday- Hogsmeade**  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were walking back from Hogsmeade when Harry spotted Katie Bell and one of her friends having an argument. He shook his head and went back to his conversation with his friends. Then, he suddenly heard an ear piercing scream. The trio whipped their heads around to see Katie Bell writhing on the floor and her friend screaming at her to stop. Harry ran over and was about to kneel down to check Katie when she suddenly stopped and flew into the air. She started screaming and Harry yelled over her.

"GET A TEACHER!"

Ron and Hermione ran off as Katie fell to the ground convulsing and gasping. Her eyes were glazed over and her skin pale. Harry moved forward and hesitantly reached out towards the package that was near Katie. A blue necklace was peeking out.

"She got that in the 3 broomsticks. I told her not to touch it or open it but she insisted. That's what we were arguing about. As soon as she opened it, she fell to the floor." Her friend said shakily.

Harry nodded and took off his scarf. He gingerly wrapped it around the necklace. Ron and Hermione came back with Hagrid and McGonagall in tow. Hagrid picked up Katie and looked to McGonagall.

"What is that Potter?" McGonagall asked seeing that Harry was still kneeling on the ground.

"It's the necklace she touched professor. I think that it's what caused this." Harry said.

McGonagall took it and examined it.

"Bring her to Severus!" McGonagall said to Hagrid. He took off towards the castle.

"You 4 return to the castle with me. We are going to need to talk to you." McGonagall said.

* * *

Harry was sitting on Ron's bed arguing in hushed voices with him. He looked up and saw Dudley.

"Hey Big D. How'd the date go?" Harry asked.

"I learned a lot," Dudley said. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Harry could tell right away what Dudley was talking about and he sighed.

"I didn't want you to find out like this. I just wanted to keep you safe."

"So what about your parents? You can't just hold back all this from them and then have them hear it from someone else!"

"You don't understand Dudley! The more they know the more danger they will be in! I can't lose them again." Harry said angrily.

The boys sat in silence.

"Fine, but leaving them to find out from someone else is only going to make things worse," Dudley said walking out of the dorm.

* * *

 **A/N- Hey guys! So guess what? I'm going to be starting another story! That is one of the reasons why I started to only update every other week. So now on the weeks that I don't update _Mysteries_ , I will update _What Brothers Could Have Been_. _What Brothers Could Have Been_ is a story written in Regulus Black's point of view. It is about what would've happened if Regulus was a Gryffindor. The first chapter will be up next week and I hope you'll enjoy! See you next week!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	35. Chapter 37-Shopping Trip!

_Dear Harry,_

 _Your mom and I just wanted to check that you were going to come home for the holidays. You do want to right?_

 _Love,_  
 _Dad_

* * *

 _Dear Mom and Dad,_

 _I wouldn't dream of being anywhere else. Me and Dudley will arrive on the 20th._

 _Love,  
_ _Harry_

* * *

 **December 20th- Wednesday- Potter Manor**

Sophie was sitting in the living room reading a book from the library. She had been sitting there since she woke up because she couldn't wait to see Harry and Dudley. Sophie couldn't go out of the house very much because of a number of reasons so she was very excited to talk to someone other than adults. Just as Sophie finished the 15th chapter in her book, Harry and Dudley popped out of the fireplace. Both of them fell onto the ground and clumsily helped themselves up. Sophie jumped up and hugged both of them very tightly.

"Harry! Dudley! It's soooooo good to see you! It's so boring here!"

Harry laughed.

"I know how that feels. I'll work on it ok?"

Sophie nodded enthusiastically.

"Come on. Mom is getting some stuff ready and Dad is out getting stuff for the party-"

"The party?" Harry asked very confusedly.

"Oh yeah. I know I'm not very excited for it either but they say they're only inviting the Order and I thought they said that they were inviting some of your friends..."

"When?" Harry asked.

"Christmas Eve," Lily replied walking down the staircase to the fireplace. "I missed you boys." She said hugging Harry and Dudley very tightly.

"But we have nothing to wear! The dress robes that I got in fourth year don't fit anymore." Harry said.

"Well, that's why I planned a shopping trip! We're leaving for Diagon Alley in a few minutes." Lily smiled as she saw Sophie frown knowing that she can't leave the protection of Potter Manor. "Even you're coming Sophie. We need to get you a nice dress." Sophie grinned fro ear to ear.

"Could I get some books too?" Sophie asked.

"Of course!" Lily said moving towards them. "Sophie, why don't you go to the bathroom really quick and I'll help Harry and Dudley with their stuff." Sophie left and Dudley started walking upstairs with his luggage. Lily grabbed a small bag that Harry had brought. She leaned over and whispered to Harry:

"Have your wand ready to be pulled out at a moments notice. If something happens, run with Dudley. Do not fight or do something dangerous. I'll protect Sophie. Are we clear?" Lily asked looking into Harry's eyes.

Harry was going to argue but he nodded and agreed.

Soon, the four were in Diagon Alley and walking to Gringotts. Sophie was amazed at all the magic around her. Even though she had been here plenty of times with her family, she stared in awe at the goblins as she walked towards the carts. Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her to the front. Dudley sat in the back next to Lily while Sophie sat on Harry's lap.

"Hold on tight," Harry whispered into Sophie's ear.

The cart took off at lightning speed and swerved as they went around corners. Sophie screamed gleefully as Harry laughed and held her by the waist. Lily smiled at the siblings while Dudley looked like he was about to puke. Finally, the cart screeched to a stop and the Potters could get off. Harry looked very confused because this was not the vault that he remembered.

"Are you sure we're at the right vault mom?" He asked looking at the very large door.

"Yeah, I think that you've only been to your personal spending vault. This is the Potter Family Vault." Lily replied making room for the goblin to open the door.

As the goblin opened the door, piles of gold, bronze and silver could be seen as well as historical artifacts and jewelry. Dudley looked like he was about to faint and the only thing keeping Harry from falling over was Sophie. Lily walked in and took out 4 bags from her pocket. She filled the first one with galleons, knuts, and sickles and then proceeded to fill the other ones. Lily kept one bag and handed each person one.

"This is your spending money. You can use it however you want although I would suggest not using it all today. I will pay for any clothing and food you guys need." Lily said as she pocketed her own bag. "Now let's go shopping!"

Once they were outside of the bank, all the kids started pointing and running towards their favorite stores. Sophie wanted to go to the bookstore, Harry wanted to go to quality quidditch supplies and Dudley wanted ice cream. They decided to go to the bookstore first. Sophie scanned the shelves grabbing books like the Tales of Beedle the Bard and Lila and her magical adventures as well as practical books that taught her how to care for magical creatures. Harry stayed in the section on self-defense but then saw that there was a new edition of Hogwarts: A History so he grabbed a copy for Hermione. Dudley grabbed a copy for himself as well as a few muggle school books. Lily fully supported the idea of Dudley continuing his education so she volunteered to pay for his books.

Soon everyone was out of the bookstore and they were headed to Quality Quidditch Supplies. They were almost there when Sophie stopped. Harry turned to look back at her and found that she was staring into the window of the pet store. The rest of the Potters walked over.

"Can we please go in?" Sophie asked.

Lily sighed but agreed.

Sophie grinned and burst through the door. There were animals everywhere. There were toads and lizards as well as owls and cats. Sophie walked slowly looking at every animal closely. She finally got to the cats section where she spotted a tiny little white kitten with a black spot around her eye.

"She's cute right?" asked the shopkeeper coming out from behind the register. "She's not ready to go home yet but she keeps me very entertained all day."

Sophie smiled.

"Can we get her mom?" Sophie asked. She was hesitant to call Lily mom but she had slowly gotten used to it and Lily started to feel like a mother to her.

"She's not ready yet Soph. Besides, I don't think we're ready for a pet right now."

Sophie frowned but nodded.

"Don't worry. One day we can come back and get a pet ok?" Lily said.

Sophie nodded and said goodbye to the small kitten. The family walked out of the store and moved on to the ice cream store since they started to get hungry.

"You know, I think I forgot something at the bookstore, I'll be right back," Harry said.

"Come back quickly," Lily said looking at him meaningfully.

Harry nodded and walked back to the pet store. The shopkeeper looked up questioningly.

"Hello Mr. Potter, what can I do for you?"

Harry looked over at the black and white kitten.

"I want to buy that cat."

The shopkeeper looked at the small kitten.

"She's not ready to be taken yet-"

"Could I pick her up on Christmas Eve?" Harry asked.

The shopkeeper sighed.

"Yes, I suppose you could do that-"

"Great. I'll be here." Harry smiled before running out of the store and back to the ice cream store.

"Did you find it?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. I, uh, left one of my books there by mistake." Harry lied.

He sat down to have ice cream with them. Lily had gotten chocolate pecan, Harry got strawberry nut, Dudley got chocolate and Sophie got Birthday cake with caramel, chocolate sauce, a cherry and sprinkles on top.  
After that, the family went to Madame Malkins to get a wardrobe update. They not only bought robes but also some everyday essentials for Sophie. Dudley and Harry got dress robes and Sophie got a red dress for the party. They shopped around a bit more to get presents before heading back home.

 **A/N- Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I certainly had fun writing it. If you enjoy this story be sure to leave a review and check out my other story (What Brothers Could Have Been). The next chapter for that will be out next week and I will update this story in two weeks. See you then!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	36. Chapter 38- Christmas Party

_Dear Sirius,_  
 _So I have a huge favor to ask you Sirius. You can't tell mom and dad though, ok? It's really important. I kinda bought Sophie a cat. I know, I know, I should've checked with my parents but I think that Sophie needs something to do while she's cooped up in here. I have to pick the kitten up on Christmas eve and I was wondering if you could bring Dudley and me to Diagon Alley? Then you can bring us back in time for the party._  
 _-Harry_

* * *

 _Dear Harry,_  
 _I'll pick you both up at noon. Come up with a good lie to cover us please!_  
 _-Sirius_

* * *

 **December 24th- Sunday- Diagon Alley**

Dudley and Harry walked along Diagon Alley with Sirius by their side. Harry had told Lily and James that Sirius needed help wrapping presents. He wasn't sure that they believed him fully but they let the two boys leave.

Soon enough, they reached the pet store and walked into the shop.

"Mr. Potter! How are you on this merry afternoon?" The shopkeeper asked.

"I'm great sir," Harry replied with a small nod at the man.

"Here's the kitten."

The man held up the small black and white kitten which was currently sleeping in a small basket. Harry smiled and took the basket.

"If you need any other supplies I have it over here."

The boys had decided that Dudley would get some basic supplies for the cat while Harry actually gave Sophie the cat. They would let Sophie pick out whatever other things she wanted. After Dudley had grabbed some food and small toys, they left the shop. Sirius brought them back to the house where Harry draped his invisibility cloak over the basket. The boys ran up the stairs to Harry's bedroom to hide the kitten. It was going to stay in Harry's closet which was actually more the size of a bathroom. They turned on the light and then took the cloak off the cat. She stretched and yawned gracefully arching her back before curling up again and settling in the basket.

"Dudley! Could you come down here and help me with this? And Harry could you please play with Sophie? She's really bored."

"Coming mom!" The boys shouted.

They made sure that the kitten was tucked away in the closet and then went downstairs where Lily and James were getting ready for the party. Lily was putting all of the food on platters and bringing them into the large dining hall.

"Oh, there you are Dudley. Could you please bring these platters into the dining room? And Harry, Sophie is sitting in the library."

Harry started to walk back up the stairs and towards the library. As he walked along the walls he looked at the photos on the walls. The dark red surfaces were littered with photos of Harry as a baby along with pictures of his parents. In one, Lily was ice skating with James and almost fell before James caught her. The couple laughed and smiled at the camera before James dipped Lily and gave her a kiss. Harry smiled at his parents. They looked so young and carefree. Now they seemed so much older. Even Dumbledore hadn't been able to tell how much they aged or even if they had aged at all. They looked the same and didn't show any signs of aging even though they had been dead for over 10 years. The only thing that would make anyone question that they were over 21 was their eyes. It was clear in all the marauders that they had been through a lot.

Harry moved down the hallway and came across a picture of the marauders while they were still at Hogwarts. They were smiling and playing around with each other.

No one would guess that one would die from the others betrayal. Harry sighed heavily and continued on his way to the library.

He opened the door to the library and immediately gasped. Pulley machines grabbed books and dropped them near their proper place on the hundreds of shelves.

They then floated over to their exact place and tucked themselves into the shelves. Giant windows that reached the ceiling let in light and lit up the room. A large chandelier in the center of the room was only there for decoration and added to the room's elegance. Sophie was currently skimming through a book on the floor. Her wavy hair cascaded down her face and all the way to her waist. She looked up when Harry walked in and smiled lightly.

"Hey Harry." She said.

"Whatcha doing Sophie?" Harry asked walking over to her.

She held up her book which was titled 'Adventures of Merlin' and shrugged her shoulders.

"I've been reading whatever the pulleys drop."

Harry thought for a moment. Then he came up with an idea.

"Have you ever flown Sophie?" Harry asked.

"No, I used to live in a muggle village and my parents forbid Sarah to go flying."

Harry grinned. "How about I take you? It'll be fun!"

Sophie nodded enthusiastically. "Ok!"

Harry summoned his firebolt and he and Sophie ran through the halls and towards the back door.

"I'm going to take Sophie flying ok mom?"

Lily, who was very distracted muttered an ok and then left to go do more decorating. Harry shrugged and grabbed Sophie's hand pulling her through te door and out into the quidditch pitch.

"Ok, so you sit behind me ok? Just hold on tight and I'll steer."

Sophie nodded and waited a Harry got onto the broom. Then she got on and gripped Harry's waist. Harry pushed off the ground and they were off. The ground got farther and farther away from Sophie until they reached the height of the second floor of Potter Manor. Harry flew around in a circle and then looked back at Sophie.

She was looking at the ground and smiling.

"Faster?" Harry asked. She nodded and rested her head against his back. Harry leaned forwards and urged the broom a bit faster. Sophie giggled as the wind blew her hair back. Harry smiled and started flying higher and urging the broom faster. After a while, Harry brought the broom as high as he could before performing a dive. Sophie squealed as the wind rushed past her and the ground became clearer and clearer. Just as she started to get worried that Harry was actually trying to crash them, he pulled up and the broom leveled a few feet from the ground. Harry slowly lowered them to the ground and helped Sophie off the broom.

"What'd you think?"

Sophie almost tripped over her feet as she steadied herself. "It was amazing! Let's do it again!"

"We've got to get ready for the party but we can do it some other time ok?"

Sophie nodded and the pair started walking towards the house.

As soon as they entered the room Lily ushered them up the stairs to get ready. Harry moved into his bedroom and got his dress robes on. Lily brought Sophie into her room and started to grab Sophie's dress.

The dress was red and had sequins on the top. The bottom was made of a light flowy fabric that flew out when Sophie twirled.

"Alright, sit down Sophie," Lily said once Sophie gotten dressed. "Capillago perfectus!" Lily flicked her wand and suddenly Sophie's hair started to twist itself and within a few seconds, it was in a perfect half up, half down hairstyle.

"Alright, now the guests will be here in about 10 minutes. Do you want to help me put the final touches on everything?" Lily asked.

Sophie agreed and they went downstairs to make sure everything was in order.

* * *

 **At Meg's House-**

Meg pecked Sirius on the lips when she opened the door of her apartment.

"Meg!" Sirius gasped as he saw her outfit.

"Do I look ok?" She asked uncomfortably.

"Yes! You look beautiful!"

Indeed she did. Meg was wearing a tight fitting gold dress that hugged her curves. The straps hung off her shoulders. Black strappy stilettos wrapped around her feet and a silver cuff bracelet hung on her wrist. Her jet black hair cascaded down her back in soft, bouncy curls. Her eyes were lined with black liner and her lips smothered in a deep burgundy lipstick.

Sirius matched well wearing a muggle suit with a burgundy tie. His shoes were well polished and his hair was perfect as always.

"You look amazing!" Sirius exclaimed once again.

Meg blushed and her hair fell forward. Sirius gently reached out and brushed it back.

"Come on, let's go to the party."

The couple hopped onto Sirius' motorcycle and flew through the skies. When they arrived, Meg gasped at the large mansion. Sirius squeezed her hand and led her up to the door. Lily answered and smiled when she saw Meg.

"Hey Sirius! This must be Megan." She greeted.

"Please call me Meg. It's very nice to meet you." Meg said sticking her hand out. Lily shook it firmly with a smile.

"Come in! Join the party!"

As they walked through the door, Sirius noticed the elaborate decor in the home. There were gold and red silks draped on the ceilings and mistletoe flying through the air. It was magically enchanted so that whoever walked under it would be stuck there until they were kissed.

Sirius grabbed Meg's hand and guided her towards the ballroom. When they entered, Meg was amazed. The dome ceiling had intricate designs etched into every stone. In the center, there was a large crystal chandelier that lit up the entire room. Sirius smiled at Meg and lead her towards a table where Remus and Tonks were joking around.

"Hey Moony! Nymphy!"

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks said her hair flashing bright red.

"Happy Christmas Padfoot," Remus said. "Megan I presume?"

Meg smiled and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Almost the whole Order was there plus some other trusted friends or family. Dumbledore was talking in the corner with McGonagail and Professor Sprout. Kingsley and Moody were drinking punch in one corner, Kingsley laughed as Moody pulled his flask from his pocket and drank that instead of the offered cup. Sirius scowled as he saw Severus lurking in the back corner and watching Lily dance with James. His scowl turned into a smile as he saw Ginny dancing with Harry their foreheads touched together. Harry was pulling Ginny as close as he could get her and Ginny seemed to love it. Her back arched gracefully as she leaned into Harry.

"Let's dance." She whispered into his ear.

"You know I can't," Harry said back blushing. Ginny separated herself a bit from Harry and carefully guided him through the steps of a playful waltz. It was much less traditional and more for fun than anything. The couple seemed to glide along the dance floor and when they stumbled, which was only once or twice, they laughed it off and continued on their way. Soon, the music picked up into a more fast paced song. Harry pulled Ginny in close and they spun around the dance floor. They twirled and glided with Harry picking Ginny off her feet a few times. They were giggling and smiling through the whole song and once it was over, Harry dipped Ginny and gave her a firm kiss on the lips. She smiled against his lips and carefully picked herself up.

Across the dance floor, Meg was being guided by Sirius.

"I can't dance Siri!" Meg laughed as Sirius pulled her to the dance floor.

"That's because you haven't danced with me before," Sirius said with his trademark smirk and mischievous eyes.

Sirius gracefully straightened his back and offered his hand remembering the etiquette classes he was forced to take as a child. Meg extends her hand with an air of elegance that surprised Sirius. She smiled and he raised her hand to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. He gently pulled her into his arms and he was surprised once again when she knew exactly where to put her hands. Sirius lead her through the dance, pulling her close and sweeping her off her feet. Their movements matched each other perfectly and they seemed to know exactly what to do. Their movements were so precise that one might have thought that they practiced for weeks beforehand. Just when the dance ended, a mistletoe appeared above them and Sirius pulled Meg into a kiss. Her body melted into his and she wrapped her arms around him and up his back. Sirius wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her even closer if possible. A wolf whistle broke the couple apart. Meg jumped back and was reaching for her wand while Sirius just laughed.

"Jealous Prongs?" He asked before he even saw who had whistled.

"Never Padfoot," James said smirking. "Just thought I'd introduce myself to this young lady."

He grinned and shook Meg's hand.

"James Potter." He said as his way of introduction.

"Megan. Megan Woods."

James' eyes widened for a moment but he hid it well and smiled.

"Wonderful to meet you. Good luck with this mutt." He said pointing at Sirius.

Sirius rolled his eyes and snaked his arm around Meg's waist. She smiled, slightly confused at the look on James' face, and kissed Sirius. James eventually left and te couple was left sitting at one of the many tables drinking punch.

"I have a question to ask you Sirius," Meg said after taking a sip of the fruity drink.

Sirius looked up and smiled at her. She bit her lip and sighed.

"I want you to come and meet my family. Come to America for a week or two. But before you answer, I need to tell you something."

Sirius scrunched his eyebrows and moved closer to her.

"You can tell me anything Meg. What's wrong?"

"I know you'll hate me." She whispered. "You're not going to want to come with me or maybe even date me once I tell you. I just want you to know that I'm not like him. My family is not like him."

Sirius was getting really concerned now.

"My..My brother's a death eater." Meg said, her head bowed down.

Instead of running away or kicking her out like she thought he would, Sirius just hugged her.

"Why don't you hate me?" Meg questioned.

"Do you know who my family is? I'd be a hypocrite if I judged you based on your family. My cousin is Bellatrix Lestrange and all my cousins were in Slytherin."

Meg smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you. So would you like to come to America for a bit?"

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded.

"Yeah, if it wouldn't be too much trouble for you, I think I would like to meet your family."

Meg smiled and then stood up.

"It's no trouble at all. Come on, the night's still young! Let's dance!"

 **A/N- I know, it's been too long since I updated this. I'm so sorry and I know I say this so much but I really hope that the longer length on this chapter makes up for my insanely long absence. I have decided that I will now upload chapters on Saturdays because I am now very busy on Fridays and I think that it will be much easier to update on Saturdays. This also goes for _What Brothers Could Have Been._ Thanks so much for your patience and I hope that everyone will continue to review because it really encourages me and boosts my inspiration. **

**Thanks again for waiting and reading,**

 **-Maarauderette24**


	37. Chapter 39-Christmas

**December 25th- Monday- Potter Manor  
**  
James leaned over and gave a sleeping Lily a kiss. Her eyes fluttered open and she ran her hand through James' messy bedhead. James pressed himself next to her and smiled against her lips.

"Merry Christmas beautiful," James mumbled.

"Morning." Lily whispered. "Why don't you go wake the kids up?"

James grinned and Lily rolled her eyes gently swinging her legs out of bed.

* * *

James cast a silencing charm on the room before quietly making his way over to Sophie's bed.

"WAKE UP!" James yelled jumping onto Sophie's bed.

She let out an ear-piercing scream and bolted upright. She glared angrily at James.

"What was that for Dad!" She screamed.

"Shhh! Come on! It's Christmas!"

Sophie smiled. "Can we aguamenti Harry?"

James nodded and removed the silencing charm. He and Sophie crept through the halls and made their way to Harry's room. They quietly put up another silencing charm and got into position.

Sophie smirked and hid right next to Harry's bed. James spelled the water onto Harry and he woke up sputtering. Just as he was recovering, Sophie jumped up and landed on his chest.

"Morning Harry!" She screamed.

Harry laughed and rolled over so that she was underneath and started to tickle her sides.

"Harry! Harry come on! Let's go wake up Dudley!"

Harry grinned and pulled Sophie off the bed. The siblings ran through the halls with James on their tails and didn't bother putting up a silencing charm. Harry whipped out his wand and smiled at Sophie.

"Augamenti!"

Dudley shot up so fast that he rolled out of bed.

"Dudley! Come on! It's Christmas!"

Dudley shook his head and sprayed water everywhere. He eventually got off the floor and everyone made their way downstairs. Lily greeted them and everyone raced to the Christmas tree. They divided the presents into piles and the kids immediately started to open theirs. Dudley got a new firebolt, Harry got tickets to a Puddlemore United game and Sophie received tickets to go to the Weird Sisters Concert.

"I got you guys something too," Sophie said to Dudley and Harry. She handed them each a crooked friendship bracelet with a small bead in the middle.

"I made them and mom charmed them so that they will never break."

"Thanks Sophie!" Harry exclaimed. "Me and Dudley got you something too but we left it upstairs. We'll go get it." Harry nudged Dudley and they both ran up the stairs. "Help me with the cat!" Harry whispered to him.

They both entered the closet and carefully picked up the cat from where it was playing with a toy snitch. They placed it in the basket and walked downstairs.

"Close your eyes!" Harry yelled down.

Sophie put her hands over her face and waited as Harry and Dudley settled down in front of her.

"Ok, Open!" Dudley said.

"MY KITTEN!" Sophie screamed reaching forward to cradle the tiny animal in her arms.

"A kitten?!" Lily and James yelled.

Harry and Dudley looked sheepish.

"Well, you see Sophie really wanted the cat so I went back and bought it for her." Harry confessed.

"We'll talk about this later." Lily said but there was a glint in her eye that told them that they weren't really in trouble.  
Sophie was cuddling the kitten in her lap and it pawed at her shirt. She wiggled her fingers and the kitten jumped up to try and catch them. She laughed and stroked the kitten's back so that it settled down.

"What are you going to name her Sophie?" Harry asked.

She looked at the kitten and thought about it. Something seemed to flash in her eyes and she smiled.

"Melody. Her name is Melody."

* * *

Meg woke up to the sound of her alarm and groaned. She had stayed up late last night at the party. She and Sirius had danced the night away and she might have had a bit too much firewhiskey. Sirius had driven her back on his motorbike and she had fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She moved to get out of bed but froze hearing someone walking around the house. She reached for her wand, which she always kept on her bedside table, and slowly stood up.

While Meg was no soldier, she could duel better than anyone in her class. She had only had to test her skills on the field a few times luckily. Meg opened the door to her bedroom and was surprised when she saw her boyfriend Sirius leaning casually against the opposite wall.

"Merry Christmas!" He exclaimed throwing his hand in the air.

Meg smiled and put her wand in a holster that she wore around her waist.

"Morning Sirius." She said as she walked closer to him. She gave him a gentle kiss and smiled when he moved towards the kitchen. There was a breakfast of pancakes and eggs waiting on the counter. The couple ate and talked and then came the time to exchange gifts. Sirius pulled a box out of his pocket and handed it to Meg. Likewise, she grabbed a box from the table behind her and handed it to him. Sirius opened the box to find a new leather jacket and wand holster.

"I never see anyone use them here in England but they're really common in America and I figured you could use it." She said referring to the holster.

She opened her box to find a beautiful ruby necklace. It had a single ruby shaped in a teardrop hung on a simple silver chain. Sirius helped her clasp it around her neck and gave her a kiss on the neck when he was finished. Meg giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you Megan Woods." Sirius said staring into her eyes.

"I love you too Sirius Black."

* * *

Remus was sitting in his room at Grimmauld place waiting for Sirius to return. Sirius had been spending a lot of time at Meg's and Remus was a bit lonely. He knew that he was welcomed at the Potter's house but he didn't want to intrude. He looked up when he heard a bang and a muffled cuss. He stood up and found Tonks picking up some oranges while mumbling about her clumsiness. Remus helped her and picked up the other things that she had dropped. Her hair flashed orange and she looked up.

"Hey Remus." She said.

"Hi Tonks."

"Where is everyone?" She asked.

"Celebrating Christmas," Remus responded.

They looked down.

"You wanna celebrate with me?" Tonks asked shyly. "My parents are out of town.." Tonks trailed off.

Remus smiled. "Sure."

They got to work on preparing a Christmas meal for themselves with whatever they could find in the house or what Tonks bought. They laughed and Tonks spilled the ingredients quite a bit but in the end, they had a cake and a ham ready to eat. They ate and laughed and goofed around since no one was home. They were laughing so hard that Mrs. Black woke up and they had to heave her curtains closed. They collapsed on the ground from their laughter and looked at each other smiling.

"Merry Christmas Remus."

"Merry Christmas Tonks."

 **A/N- Hey guys! Thanks so much for reading and hopefully leaving a review! I hope that this doesn't seemed rushed and I promise that the next chapter will have more action!**

 **Until Next Time,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	38. Chapter 40- America

**January 2nd- Tuesday- International Floo Network London**

Sirius and Meg walked through the crowd of people that were trying to make their way to the fireplaces.

The International Floo Network was a network of fireplaces that led to specific places all over the world. It was like an airport but for wizards. You just had to use the floo network to get to the general place of where you were going and then use the regular floo to get to a more precise location.

Sirius and Meg were making their way towards the California floo that would take them to America. They got in line and patiently waited for the people in front of them to disappear through the fire. When it was their turn, Meg went first. She dragged her bag into the fire and then through the floo powder down. Since the floo was charmed to bring her to only one destination, she didn't have to tell it where she wanted to go. Sirius went next and soon the couple was safely in California.

"Come on Siri! I've called my family to pick us up." Meg said as she walked towards the exit.

"Ok. Remind me of everyone's name?" Sirius asked sheepishly.

Meg laughed. "Ok. There's my mom who's a doctor and my dad who's an accountant. Then there's my older brother Art, who is a potions master."

Just as she finished her explanation, a group of people emerged from the crowd. First came a short woman. Her black hair was cut into a short bob with bangs that reached her eyebrows. Then, there was a tall man with his brown hair showing signs of gray coming in. Finally, there was a thin, slightly muscular man with a sleeve of tattoos running up his arm.

"Meg!" The woman screamed throwing her arms around Meg.

"Hi mom," Meg said returning the hug.

"Mr. Black I presume?" said the older man.

Sirius shook his hand firmly and tipped his head slightly.

"That's me. It's wonderful to meet you Mr. Woods."

Mr. Woods smiled and leaned in slightly.

"We'll have to have a conversation later on, yes?"

Sirius gulped but nodded.

Meanwhile, Meg was moving towards her brother. She smiled and stood n her tip-toes to fling her arms around his neck.

"I missed you Art." Meg mumbled into his neck.

"I missed you too sis. How're things in England?" He asked. He was looking at Sirius. Meg hit his arm playfully.

"Stop eyeing him! Do you think I would've brought him if I thought you wouldn't approve?" Meg asked smiling.

"Hey! I'm just doing my job!" He said putting his hands up in a mock surrender.

At that moment, Sirius walked over with Mr. and Mrs. Woods behind him. Sirius smiled at Meg and snaked his arm around her waist. She gave him a peck on the cheek and smiled.

"Ready to go?" She asked everyone.

When everybody nodded, she turned to Sirius.

"Sorry Siri but I'm going to have to side along apparate you to the house." Meg said while weaving her fingers into his.

With a small turn and a pop, they were gone.

* * *

Meg and Sirius landed on a hill of dirt with an intricate gate with a W on the front. There were houses below the hill but none that were close to the gate. Through the metal fence, Sirius could see a beaten down house with boards over the window.

"Sorry, I forgot about the wards." Meg said. She pulled a slip of paper out of her jeans and handed it to Sirius. It read:

 _The Woods' Residence is located at 1159 Redwood Avenue_

Sirius nodded and burned the slip of paper so that no one else could see it. Meg smiled at him and stepped forward to open the gate. She pressed her hand against it and waited as the gate slowly swung open. Sirius' jaw dropped as soon as he walked in.

It was clear that there was a glamour on the house so that it looked different when people were outside of the gate. On the inside of the gate, there was a beautiful cottage that was surrounded by green grass instead of the dirt that lay outside the gate. Birds chirped happily from their perch on the numerous trees that were on the property. There was a small fountain that leads to a pond where Sirius could see that there were koi fish.

Meg laughed at Sirius' expression and grabbed his hand to lead him to the door.

"Welcome to my house!" Meg said.

"It's beautiful!" Sirius exclaimed while looking around the entire property.

Meg laughed and lead him inside to where her parents were. Meg's mom was cooking in the kitchen and her dad was seated at the table.

"Whatever you are cooking smells amazing Mrs. Woods." Sirius said to Meg's mom.

"Thank you Sirius! It's chicken pot pie!" Mrs. Woods said with a smile. "Meg, why don't you show Sirius to your room? Art's downstairs so don't bother him too much ok? And then once you're done I have something I have to give you."

"Alright mom." Meg said while grabbing Sirius' hand and leading him towards the stairs. Sirius levitated their luggage and followed Meg up the wooden stairs.

"This is my room." Meg said gesturing to the second room from the stairs.

She opened the door to reveal a white room with accents of pink and black. There was a bed in the center and a bay window to the side.

"We don't have a guest room so I was going to charm the bed to be a bit bigger?" Meg said straightening the sheets out a bit. Then she turns to Sirius, eyes wide. "I could also just transfigure another bed if you don't want to sleep in the same bed as me."

Sirius chuckles and moves closer to her. He places his hand on her cheek and leans down to kiss her gently. Meg sucks in a breath of air before responding enthusiastically. She presses her lips closer to Sirius' and wraps her arms around Sirius' shoulders. She pulls away gently and smiles at Sirius.

"I'll take that as it's ok to be in the same bed?" Meg laughs.

After a few charms on the bed and sheets, Meg's bed is large enough to fit two people.

"Come on, my mom wants to talk to me and maybe you could get to know Art." Meg says while guiding Sirius down to the kitchen.

"Sounds good."

 **A/N- Hi guys! I know it's short and doesn't really have much in it but, I really just wanted to get something up today because I feel like I haven't posted on this story forever. I promise that I'll get better at writing more and updating on time! Also thanks to all my reviewers because it makes writing so much easier when I know that you enjoy the story.**

 **Anyway,**

 **Until next time,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	39. Chapter 41- Joining the Order

**January 2nd- Tuesday- Potter Manor**

"Hey Mom, can Ginny come over?" Harry yelled out to his mom while sitting in front of the fireplace.

"Sure Harry! Say hi to Molly for me would you?" Lily yelled back from the kitchen.

"The burrow!" Harry yelled and dipped his head into the fire. Luckily, Ginny was sitting in the living room reading a textbook. Her legs were tucked up under her and her hair was put into a messy bun on top of her head. Her lips parted slightly as her brown eyes scanned the page. Harry stared at her for a second before remembering why he was here.

"Gin!" Harry whisper-shouted to get her attention.

"Harry!" Ginny smiled as she put her book down and walked over to the fireplace.

"Hey! Do you want to come swimming over at my house?"

"Yeah! Lemme go get my suit." Ginny replied.

Harry pulled his head out of the fire and waited for a few minutes until Ginny was pushed out of the fireplace. Luckily, Harry caught her in his arms before she could fully fall.

"Thanks," Ginny whispered as she leaned up to kiss him.

Harry smiled as they separated and got a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Race you to the pool room." He said before he took off running.

He heard Ginny's laughter behind him and smiled. Ginny sprinted to catch up to her boyfriend who was a few steps ahead of her. Harry looked behind him to see Ginny's determined face as she ran faster and faster. Soon, the couple was neck and neck. Ginny smirked to herself and took the final leap into the pool room.

"I win!" She cried as Harry stepped into the room. "And I'd like my reward now."

Ginny stepped closer to Harry and ran her hands up his arms until they rested on his shoulders. Harry smiled and rested his hands on the small of her back. He leaned down to press a kiss to her lips. Ginny deepened the kiss and soon her hands were tangled in Harry's mess of hair. Suddenly, Harry pulled Ginny closer to him which made the redhead squeal. Harry smiled.

"Was that a good enough reward?" He whispered into Ginny's ear.

Ginny shivered and nodded. Harry smirked and removed his shirt. Ginny smiled and slipped out of her bottoms and then threw her shirt onto a nearby pool chair. Ginny was wearing a flattering halter top bikini. It was zebra stripped and had a thick stripe of black on either side of her hips. Ginny had a very curvy silhouette that was amplified by her thin, slightly toned stomach. She released her hair from the bun it was in and it cascaded down her back.

Harry stared for a moment before he ran towards the edge of the pool and then cannonballed into the water. The bottom of the pool was charmed to be however deep it needed to be so anyone could use it and feel safe. Ginny followed soon after with a smooth dive. The couple splashed around in the pool for a while occasionally slipping in a kiss. Then, as Harry bent forward to kiss Ginny, his scar erupted in pain and he stumbled backward.

"Harry? Harry are you ok?" Ginny asked moving closer.

Harry pressed his hand to his forehead and hastily removed himself from the pool. He kneeled by the poolside, with his face contorted in agony.

"Harry? Harry, hang on I'm getting your parents. Harry!" Ginny screamed as Harry dropped to the ground.

* * *

 _"Is everything ready Wormtail?" Voldemort asked._

 _"Yes master."_

 _"Does Woods have the address?"_

 _"Yes master, he shared it with the death eaters this morning."_

 _"And the troops are ready?"_

 _"Yes master. We will leave whenever you want us to."_

 _"Just a few more days Wormtail. I want to make sure we attack at the right time."_

 _"Yes master."_

 _"Now go and get out of my sight!"_

* * *

"Harry!" Ginny said as Harry's eyes opened up.

"Urg." Harry moaned as he sat up.

"Are you ok?" Lily asked frantically.

"I'm fine mom. It happens all the time." Harry said waving off her hand.

"All the time?! And you think that that's going to make me feel better?" Lily screeched.

"It's fine," Harry said gruffly getting off of the couch that they had placed him on.

"Harry. We just want to know what happened to you. Your mom is just worried ok?" James said stepping in calmly.

Harry sighed. "It's my scar. It has a connection to Voldemort and every now and then when he's nearby or he experiences a strong emotion, I can feel it."

Lily gripped James' arm harder and then turned to Harry with confusion in her eyes.

"And you never told us? I mean we know about the prophecy-"

Harry could feel Ginny tense up next to him and squeezed her hand gently.

"But why didn't you tell us?" Lily asked.

"You know we don't know much about your life at Hogwarts," James said. "Why don't you tell us about what we missed?"

So, with Ginny by his side, Harry launched into his story of his adventures. He told them of his crazy broomstick and the giant dog in first year. The voice in the walls and the basilisk in second year. All about Sirius in third year. The tournament and graveyard in fourth and the prophecy and Umbridge in fifth. By the end of it, Harry's parents were stunned and saddened by how much their son had to go through. Then all of a sudden, Lily got an angry gleam in her eye and she stood up off of the couch.

"And Dumbledore didn't think we needed to be informed? He didn't feel like telling us about what our son has been up to in his school?" Lily screamed moving towards the fireplace.

Lily flooed to the headmaster's office and promptly cut off his greeted and strode up to his desk.

"You told me that my son was perfectly fine and living a normal life at Hogwarts. Well, I just found out that Harry has been in a near-death situation almost every year!" Lily raged at the older man.

Dumbledore had the decency to bow his head before he replied.

"I understand why you're upset but I want you to know that I did it because I wanted Harry to have a chance to tell you. I know that I should have told you about the danger and the unique position he holds in the war but I felt that it was something that Harry should share with you."

Lily nodded and seemed to calm down slightly.

"What is his role in the war. And be _completely honest_!" Lily said emphasizing the last sentence.

"Harry is going to be the one to defeat Voldemort." Dumbledore said with his head bowed still.

Lily nodded members as if she were trying not to show much emotion. Her eyes got slightly watery and when she spoke, her voice shook slightly.

"Is he in the Order?" Lily asked.

"No. Mrs. Weasley has spoken several times about her belief that Harry is too young but Sirius has also spoken out about his belief that Harry deserves to know what every other Order member does. If you would like him initiated, I could do so at tonight's meeting." Dumbledore said with his eyes sparkling once more.

"I want him to join the Order." Lily said.

"Splendid!" Dumbledore said clapping his hands together.

"I'll see you tonight, Headmaster," Lily said bowing her head slightly and moving back towards the fireplace.

Lily flooed back home and went back into the living room.

"Ginny, I don't want to sound like I'm kicking you out but, I think that it's best that you leave." Lily said softly.

Ginny smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I get it. I'll see you later right Harry?" Ginny asked.

Harry smiled a genuine smile and told her that he would floo her later. Once she had left, Lily turned to face Harry.

"Are you ok?" She asked once more.

"I'm fine mom. Could I actually get some water?" Harry asked.

"Yeah! Yeah that's fine but I want to talk to you about something later ok?"

Harry smiled and walked out of the room.

James looked at Lily questioningly. Lily moved towards him with her hand over her mouth and her eyebrows scrunched together. A lone tear dripped down her face and her voice shook as she sat down and told James about her talk with the headmaster.

"He's so young James!" Lily said as she sat next to her husband.

"I know flower. I know." James said as he rubbed her back.

"I asked Dumbledore if Harry could join the Order." Lily said softly.

James was silent for a moment.

"I suppose it's best. He's already part of the war whether we like it or not and I think that he deserves to know what's going on."

Lily leaned her head on James' shoulder.

"I also want to start Sophie and Dudley on some self-defense lessons. Mostly muggle fighting skills but maybe some potion making or ancient runes mixed in." James suggested.

Lily gave him a small smile.

"That's a good idea. Why don't we talk to them and ask their opinions?"

Just then, the door opened and Harry walked back in carrying a glass of water and pumpkin pastie.

"Hey, Harry? What would you say if I asked you if you wanted to join the Order?" Lily asked.

Harry's eyes widened and he nearly spit out his water.

"For real? I would say yes! The only reason I didn't last year was because Mrs. Weasley wouldn't let me. I think that it's only fair that I am involved in the Order since everyone expects me to kill Voldemort."

Lily and James smiled.

"Well, I talked to Dumbledore and me and your father decided that it would be good if you joined."

"Really? Thanks Mom and Dad!" Harry said hugging both of his parents. "Wait, what about Dudley and Sophie?"

"We're going to be giving them self-defense lessons at home." James said.

Harry went upstairs to his room to get ready for the Order meeting that night while Lily and James talked to Sophie and Dudley about the lessons. They both agreed enthusiastically and Lily announced that the lessons would start next week. The whole family flooed over to Grimmauld Place for the meeting. Sophie and Dudley would be upstairs with the rest of the kids while the adults were in the meeting.

"Hey Sirius!" Harry said hugging his godfather when he arrived.

"Hey Harry! I'm pretty sure Ginny's upstairs if you're looking for her." Sirius said.

"Actually I'm staying for the meeting today. Mom and Dad decided that I should be a part of the Order."

Sirius grinned.

"I knew they would let you in!" Sirius said triumphantly.

Harry walked into the meeting room and took a seat next to his parents.

"Oh, Harry dear the kids are upstairs." Mrs. Weasley said trying to usher Harry up there.

"Actually Molly, Harry will be staying in the meetings from now on." Dumbledore announced.

"What? He's too young Dumbledore!" Molly said flabbergasted.

"We actually want him to be initiated." Lily said speaking up for her son.

Molly gaped at Lily for a second but then lowered her gaze and pursed her lips. Lily and James took seats on either side of Harry and waited as more members poured into the room. Tonks sat next to Lupin and she kept sneaking glances at him when he wasn't looking. Lily noticed this and smiled to herself. Soon, all the members were gathered and the meeting began.

"I would first like to start this meeting by initiating Harry Potter to the Order." Dumbledore said gesturing for Harry to stand up. "Do you, Harry Potter, swear to keep our secrets, fight our enemies, and protect your fellow Order members?"

"I do." Harry answered with a smile.

"Well then I am happy to welcome you to the Order of the Phoenix!" Dumbledore announced.

Everyone clapped and Harry sat down. Dumbledore raised his hands for silence and then continued on with the meeting.

"Now, I would like to start with the reports." He said.

Tonks and Kingsley gave their reports from the ministry and Mundungas gave a report of what he had been doing.

"Ok. Now I have a few more jobs that I need some people assigned to. Hestia and Didelaus, could you two please see me after the meeting for more details on your mission? I also want some people on patrol in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. If you would like to volunteer please see me after the meeting."

Harry waited until most of the people had left before he approached Dumbledore.

"Sir," Harry said. "I had a vision today about Voldemort. He was talking to Wormtail about an attack. He has someone's address but I don't know whose. Apparently, a death eater named Woods told him."

Dumbledore's eyes widened but he nodded nonetheless.

"I'll let everyone know to be on alert and strengthen their wards."

"Sir, It's not Sirius' girlfriend. It was a male." Harry said.

Dumbledore smiled at him and assured him that he knew that it wasn't Meg. Harry rejoined his parents and was going to find the Weasleys but Sophie informed him that they had already left. The family went home and Harry told his parents about the vision. They assured him that they would check the wards and with that, Harry settled in for bed.

 **A/N- Hi guys! I'm so so sorry that I've hardly posted in the last few months. I've just had a bit of writers block and got busy. I hope that this longer chapter partially makes up for it though! I also have a one-shot that I'm working on right now so I hope that I can get that out in a week or two.**

 **Now I want your opinion on something. So initially, I was going to make this story a trilogy but now I'm thinking that it might just have a sequel and then the there will be another series that will expand on Sophie's life at Hogwarts. I would probably make a story for every year of her Hogwarts adventure but I'm not sure yet. What do you guys think? Would you be interested in a series about Sophie? Of course it would take place in the _Mysteries_ universe and have all the same characters but it would be centered around Sophie. I'd love to hear your thoughts in either a PM or review!**

 **Thanks so much,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	40. Chapter 42-Hogwarts Express

**January 2nd- The Woods' Residence**

"These were my mothers. They said that they gave her courage and helped her through the hardest part of her life." Megan's mom said while fingering an old pair of fingerless gloves. "She passed them onto me when Leo left. I want you to have them."

Meg took the worn gloves and slipped them onto her slim hands. The gloves were made out of dragonhide and they seemed to fit her perfectly.

"Thank you mom!" Meg said with a small smile as she ran her fingers over the slick material.

"The second war is coming Megan and I just hope you're ready."

* * *

"So, Sirius. What are your intentions towards my sister?" Art asked.

Sirius laughed nervously.

"Well, I hope to date her and possibly, one day in the future, marry her. Your sister is very special Art and I would never hurt her."

Art and Sirius met eyes and something seemed to pass between them. Art nodded and he looked down.

"I'm sure you understand that I just want the best for her. I don't want to see her get hurt again like she did when Leo abandoned us. So if you ever hurt a hair on her head, I will hurt you much worse in return" Art said.

"I get it don't worry about it. And I would never hurt Meg." Sirius said.

"Well," Art said with a smile, "I guess we should get upstairs before mom and Megan think that I'm scaring you too much."

* * *

Later that night, Meg and Sirius were sitting on their bed with their hands intertwined. Meg was resting her head on Sirius' shoulder and he had his arm draped casually behind her.

"Ok, so tomorrow we're going to spend some time with my family and catch up and get used to the time change. On Wednesday we have dinner with a few of my mom's friends who really want to see me and then on Thursday, we are going to the mall with some of my good friends ok? They all have husbands so you should have some fun with them. I haven't planned anything for Friday and then we leave on Saturday."

Sirius chuckled fondly and squeezed her to his side.

"You're so organized." He said.

"And you love it." Meg said with a smile.

* * *

 **January 3rd- Potter Manor**

"Harry? Are you sure you have everything packed?" Lily asked worriedly from her position at the bottom of the stairs.

"Yes mom." Harry said while rolling his eyes slightly.

"You know I just want to make sure. If you forget anything I'll owl it to you." Lily said.

Harry smiled and nodded. He lugged his trunk over to the door where his family was waiting for him. They would all be escorting him to the Hogwarts Express, even Sophie. After the Diagon Alley trip, Lily and James had decided that Sophie could be out and about if she had a parent with her at all times. Harry was also permitted to talk about Sophie at school which he hadn't been able to do very much before for fear of her being put into the spotlight or worse, becoming the target of Voldemort.

Dudley would not be joining Harry back at Hogwarts because he would be doing defense lessons with Lily and James as well as some homeschooling with the textbooks that he had gotten from the library.

"Ok now come on! Let's not make Harry late Lily." James said grabbing Lily's arm and pulling her towards the front room.

The family made their way to the front room and then, with a pop, they were gone.

* * *

"Harry!" Hermione yelled as she waved from her place at her parent's side.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said as he gave her a hug. "Have you seen the Weasleys yet?"

"Looking for Ginny are you?" Hermione asked with a slight smirk.

Harry blushed as Hermione smiled.

"And is this Sophie?" Hermione asked as she crouched down to the smaller girls height.

Sophie subconsciously moved closer to Harry and wrapped her arms around her chest.

"Harry's told me all about you. I hear you like to fly?" Hermione asked.

Sophie's eyes sparkled suddenly and she launched into the story of when Harry took her flying for the first time. While Sophie was talking, a certain redhead made her way over to Harry.

"Hey Harry." Ginny said as she came closer to kiss Harry on the cheek.

"Hi Ginny. How are you?"

"I'm good but Ronald took forever to get everything ready for today."

"Hey! I just want to make sure that I have everything!" Ron said defensively as he walked over.

Ginny rolled her eyes as Harry laughed.

The train whistled and the four friends realized that they should get going.

"I gotta go. See you in a few months Mom and Dad! Bye Dudley!" Harry yelled to his parents who were in a conversation with the Weasleys.

Harry then crouched down to Sophie's level.

"I'll see you later alright? I expect you to write to me at least once a week ok?" Harry asked.

Sophie nodded. "And you have to wear my bracelet ok?"

Harry smiled and showed her that it was already on his wrist.

With one last hug, Harry left his sister and joined his friends on the train. Luna and Neville were already in their usual compartment and had saved seats for the rest of their friends.

"So who's that?" Neville asked Harry while pointing to where Sophie was waving from the platform.

"Oh, that's my sister Sophie." Harry answered casually.

"You have a sister?" Neville exclaimed while Hermione looked at him curiously.

"I thought you weren't supposed to say that in public Harry." Hermione said.  
"My parents gave me permission to talk about her as long as I don't say anything directly to the press or something. And yes Neville, she's my adopted sister." Harry said with a proud smile.

The train ride continued with the friends talking and catching up about what they did during the break and what they got for Christmas. Harry tuned into the conversation at times but he couldn't help but think about how much his life had changed in these past few months. As great as the Weasleys were at being a family to him, there was nothing that could replace the feeling of spending the Holidays with his own family. He thought that he might never be able to experience it and now it seemed almost normal for him to talk about his family and home life as if it had always been that way.

Little did the teens know that miles away in an old shack, Voldemort was planning an attack that might take everything from one of Harry's new-found family members.

 **A/N- Ohhhh who's the target for the attack? I guess you'll just have to wait and see! I know that my updates have been much more spaced out than I planned but with summer coming soon and classes ending, I hope to be able to write much more for you guys! Please don't forget to review because it absolutely makes my day when I get to read your comments!**

 **Until next time,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	41. Chapter 43- Captured

**January 5th- Woods Residence**

The smell of bacon and eggs filled the small cottage and the sun shone beautifully through the windows. Sirius woke up and found his arm around Meg as she slept next to him. He chuckled quietly as her eyes fluttered open and met his.

"Morning sleepy head." Sirius said.

Meg snorted. "Like you've been up for much longer."

"Touche. I suppose you're right. Now I smell bacon so let's go!"

"All you ever care about is food!" Meg exclaimed as she slapped his arm playfully. Although she did get up and start heading down towards the kitchen.

The couple walked down to the kitchen and found it empty since the other residents of the house had already eaten. They served themselves bacon and eggs as well as a few slices of toast and then settled at the family table.

"So," Sirius started. "We're going to the mall today."

"Yes, we are." Meg replied.

"So... Is this like a Diagon Alley sort of thing?" Sirius asked since he had never been to a mall before.

"Oh! I completely forgot you don't know what malls are. Yeah, they're big places with a bunch of different shops. The mall I go to has a special store that leads to the wizard portion of the mall. We're meeting Savannah and Harper there."

"And Savannah and Harper are your friends right?"

"No Sirius we're going there to meet complete strangers." Meg replied sarcastically as she got up to put her dishes away.

"Just checking!" Sirius said raising his hands in mock surrender as he too put his plate into the sink.

Meg quickly flicked her wand at the dishes and they started cleaning themselves. Then Meg pointed her wand at the table and it started to clean itself and shake the crumbs into the dustpan waiting below it. Once the whole kitchen and dining room were cleaning themselves, Meg and Sirius walked back upstairs and made the bed and started to get ready.

Meg threw on a pair of leggings that were designed to look like they were made out of leather. Then she put on a kiwi green v-neck tee shirt and black combat boots.  
Sirius was wearing his usual muggle outfit of black jeans and a dark blue shirt. He then pulled on his leather jacket and a pair of high tops.

"Ready to go?" Meg asked after she swiped on her makeup.

"Yeah. Are we side-along apparating?"

Meg grimaced.

"Yeah, there's no floo since you have to go the muggle way to get in."

Sirius groaned but obediently walked over to Meg and grabbed her arm and with a pop, the pair was gone.

* * *

Sirius and Meg landed in a dark alley near the mall. They strolled out expertly looking like there was nothing strange with walking out of a mysterious alleyway. They walked into the mall which was brightly lit with lots of signs and posters advertising everything from food to perfume.

They were getting to the store where they would meet Meg's friends when Sirius suddenly stopped.

"Are you ok Siri?" Meg asked with her brow scrunched.

"Come on! We have to stop inside!" Sirius said.

Meg looked to see what he was so transfixed with and sighed when she saw it was a leather store.

"You already have a leather jacket Sirius. Come on-"

"Yes, but you don't have one yet." Sirius said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Siri, you know I don't have the money for that." Meg said with a sigh.

"Well consider it my thank you gift for letting me stay with your family and being an amazing girlfriend." Sirius insisted with a grin.

"You're going to buy me one with or without my permission aren't you?" Meg asked.

Sirius nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, then I guess we can make a quick stop."

Sirius grinned ad dashed into the store where he quickly signaled over a salesperson to measure Meg and get a perfect fit. The store wasn't crowded so they had almost a whole team sizing Meg and bringing her different fits and colors of jackets to try on. She looked overwhelmed but at the same time extremely happy to be the center of attention.

Finally, a young lady came and showed Meg a plain black jacket with a quilted pattern and lots of zippers and fold. Meg tried it on and immediately looked confident. It fit her like a glove and Meg's smile told Sirius all he needed to know.

"How much?" He whispered to the head sales person. The rest of the sales people were gushing over how pretty Meg looked and putting the other jackets away.

"It's one of our more expensive styles. It costs $569." The man said slightly scared that he would be scaring away his customers.

"I'll take it." Sirius said pulling the money out of his pocket. "Keep the change." He said to the stunned man.

"Come on Meg. I just paid for the jacket. We wouldn't want to be late would we?" Sirius said.

Meg hopped down from the sizing pedestal and practically skipped over to Sirius.

"Thank you so much Sirius! It goes with my gloves perfectly!" Meg exclaimed while snuggling into her new wardrobe piece.

The pair walked over to the next store where Meg's friends were already waiting.

"Meg! Oh my gosh, you look amazing! And who is this?" Exclaimed a blond haired lady who was holding a baby on her hip. I was obvious that she dyed her hair because the roots of her hair were still a light brown. She had an angular face with high cheekbones and a strong jawline. Her figure was still exceptional despite her having a baby.

Next to her stood a shorter woman with a curvier figure. She was currently heavily pregnant and was crouched down next to a toddler who was holding a small stuffed dragon. The toddler had light brown, stick straight hair just like her mother.

"'Anna! Harper! Oh, my goodness what have you guys been up to while I was gone?" Meg asked rushing forward to hug the two women.

"Meg, meet Marielle Annie. I got pregnant right after you left." Savannah said as she moved Marielle to show Meg.

"And this is Taylor Lauren. I was pregnant with her when you left and now I just found out I'm having a boy who is due in 5 weeks." Said Harper gently encouraging Taylor to say hello.

"Now, you never answered my question Meg! Who is this lovely gentleman?" Savannah asked.

"He's-"

"The names Sirius Black. Nice to meet you ladies." Sirius said bowing slightly and kissing each of their hands, including little Taylor who smiled as he winked at her.

Meg hit his arm playfully.

"Siri! They are married women!" She scolded jokingly.

Savannah and Harper glanced at each other and smiled.

"So, how long have you two been together?" Harper asked.

"Umm a few months?" Meg said glancing at Sirius for confirmation.

"Exactly 3 months and 4 days." Sirius replied with a grin while stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Meg blushed as her friends gave her knowing looks and fawned over how adorable Sirius was.

The group walked over to the cashier of the store and quietly stood at the desk until the cashier looked up.

"Wingardium Leviosa," Meg whispered and opened her jacket just enough so that he could see her wand.

"Of course miss. Just go straight to fitting room 7." He said.

The group smiled and walked to the back where the fitting rooms were. To any onlooker, it would appear that they were all stuffing into a damaged fitting room but in reality, the door led them to a beautiful new version of the mall with wizard stores. They walked around and went into the stores occasionally pointing at different things in the windows or stopping to read the signs.

They were passing an enchantment shop when Sirius saw a similar mirror to the one that he and James had.

"Hey Meg, you keep going. I'm going to grab something from this store." Sirius said.

"Are you sure? I can come with-"

"No, it's fine. I'll catch up in a minute."

True to his word, Sirius left the shop and met up with the group within a few minutes. All too soon, both Savannah and Harper had to go home to put their kids down for their naps.

"You have got to write to us more Meg!" Harper insisted as they parted ways.

"Yeah, and we can't wait for the wedding invitation!" Savannah tacked on.

Meg blushed and buried her face in Sirius' shoulder while he smiled.

"Here Meg. These mirrors are charmed to let people talk through them. Like the feley-phone or something." Sirius said handing Meg the small mirror.

It looked like a makeup compact and fit perfectly in Meg's pocket.

"Thanks Sirius! And it's telephone." Meg said chuckling at Sirius' attempt to remember the muggle device.

"I want you to keep it with you all the time ok? So that if something happens you can always contact me."

"Ok Sirius."

The couple smiled at each other and Sirius takes Meg's hand in his. They are still smiling when they leave the mall and start moving back towards the alleyway. Then they hear the familiar pops of apparation and freeze. They hear footsteps coming closer and then they slowly turn around.

Over a dozen death eaters stand behind them with their masks on and their wands out. Sirius quickly lets go of Meg's hand and grabs his wand with Meg mimicking his actions.

"You know Megan, mother was actually surprisingly easy to get information from. After a few crucios, she was spilling her guts."

Meg froze when she heard the death eaters voice and Sirius spared a quick glance at her face which was rapidly paling.

"Leo." She whispered.

Sirius' eyes widened and he kept sneaking glances at Meg.

"That's right sis. I'm back!"

Then he flicked his wand and sent a stunner at Meg which seemed to snap her out of her daze. The death eaters spread out from their starting formation and started shooting at bystanders as well as a few wizards who started defending the muggle mall. Leo seemed to focus on Meg with a few other death eaters helping him out. Sirius was enclosed in a circle of death eaters a few feet away.

"Why are you doing this Leo?" Meg screamed as she ducked and blocked the curses sent her way.

"You know why Megan!" He answered with a snarl. "I was always overshadowed by you and Art but know, I am on of the Dark Lords most valuable servants!"

Meg let out a hiss as a stinging hex hit her thigh and ducked as green lights soared over her head. Suddenly, she found herself back to back with Sirius as he broke free of the circle that was enclosing him.

"Sirius! We need backup!" Meg shouted to her boyfriend over the commotion of the fight.

"I agree but there's no one to call!" He said while putting up a shield. "The Order won't make it in time!"

Meg was suddenly blasted backward by a strong stunning spell. Her face collided with the dirt and her head hurt from the impact but she rose up and shot a binding hex right back at the death eater who took her down. Sirius was dusty from numerous explosions that the death eaters had caused during the fight. While Meg was distracted by another death eater, her brother shot a stunning spell at her.

"Lookout Meg!" Sirius yelled jumping in front of the spell and putting up a shield just in time.

"Thanks Siri!" Meg said while taking down another death eater.

Muggles were running and screaming from the death eaters that had invaded the mall and lots of the wizards from the mall were now outside fighting alongside them. Even with the new recruits, the death eaters still outnumbered them and Sirius and Meg were starting to tire out.

"Meg I want you to get out of here." Sirius said.

"No way! I'm not leaving you here Sirius!" Meg replied while stunning a death eater.

"It's so sweet of you to try and protect my sister Black." Leo said while emerging from the crowd of fighting. "Fortunately for her, the Dark Lord wants her alive. For now."

He whipped a curse at Sirius and Sirius reacted a moment too late. His eyes shot open as he flew backward and crashed into a building with such force, that the roof and wall crumbled leaving Sirius covered in a pile of rubble. Meg whipped around and saw her boyfriend's face just barely sticking out from the debris. His eyes were closed and his lips were slightly parted.

"Sirius!" Meg screamed.

"You turn sis." Leo said before sending a curse her way as well.

She looked up just in time to start a weak shield but she was put off balance by the strength of the curse and she fell backward. Meg scrambled backward but her brother shot a curse at her and her world went black.

 **A/N- Whew! That was longer than usual and had a lot more action than usual! I hope you enjoyed and as always please leave a review! I thought that I would update you guys on my plan for writing during the summer so I'll just do that now. So I'm planning o finishing this story over the summer and then taking some time off to write the sequel. If there is anything I learned from this year of writing it's that I should be better prepared and have content already waiting so that I can update without stressing last minute.** **Once I finish writing Mysteries, I might publish it every week or even a few times a week just to make sure that it is all published before summer ends.** **I will of course continue WBCHB. I also have a one-shot that I said I would publish so that will be up next week instead of WBCHB. So that's that. Thank you so very much for reading and I will see you again next week!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	42. Chapter 44- Old Friends

**January 5th- ?**

Meg woke up the cold floor of a dungeon with her limbs sprawled across the floor. She shot up and started to survey her surroundings. The dungeon floor and walls were concrete with only one barred window to break up the mass of gray. There was a slit in the door that allowed for food or drinks to slip in and out. So far there was only one small bowl of water and a piece of bread on a small tray.

Meg slowly got onto her feet and walked over to the window. She gently dragged her hand down the bars as if feeling if they were real before trying to see if she could tell where she was. She could only see grass and forest surrounding the place she was trapped. She let her hand drop from the window as she moved towards the door of the cell and took a sip of the water. She didn't think that there was anything in the water so she downed the whole glass in one gulp. Then she heard footsteps and backed away from the door.

Masked guards opened the door and reached their hands out to grab her arms. Meg curled her arms around her and started backing away.

"Let go of me!" She shouted when the guards grabbed her forearms and forced her up against the wall. "Did you hear me? I said let me go!"

"Now now sister, it's just a precaution to make sure you don't run away." Leo said stepping into the room.

Meg stopped struggling as she gazed at the face of her once beloved brother. His face had changed from the cute, innocent face that he had once sported as a child. Now his face was thin and pointy. He was still rather handsome, like he brother Art, but he had an air to him that was pure evil. His eyes glistened with madness and he walked with a confidence that he never had as a child.

"Leo." Meg breathed as he walked closer. Her hair fell into her face as she watched him move closer.

"Megan." He said as he came to a stop right in front of her.

"Let me go, Leo." Meg said. "Let me go and maybe I won't kill you."

"Such morbid thoughts Megan. I won't let you go and I think we both know you would never kill your own brother."

Meg blew her hair out of her face and glared at her brother.

"You don't know what I would do."

Leo reached his hand out and pushed her hair behind her ear.

"Oh, Megan. I so wish you would join my side." Leo said. He tightened his hold on her face and turned to the guards. "Leave us."

The guards released Megan and she quickly adjusted her stance so she stood up straight and looked her brother in the eye.

"Well? What are you going to do to me Leo? Gonna kill me?" Meg asked with a smirk.

"No sister. Although the Dark Lord does want some information that I know you can give me. So I'm going to give you a choice. You can tell me willingly or I'll have to get it out of you. Which do you choose?"

"I'll never tell you anything." Meg spat out as she flipped her once beautifully curled hair out of her face.

"I think you'll change your mind pretty quickly Megan." Leo said with a smirk. "You were always so proud of your hair."

Leo started to finger Meg's long, black hair in his hands. Meg shivered as he touched it and started to take deep breaths.

"Let's start with that." Leo said with a snarl as he pulled out a knife and forced Megan onto the floor. She whimpered as her head hit the floor and her breathing quickened as she felt her brothers breath on her neck. She bit her tongue to keep from making a sound as her hair was pulled back. And let out a gasp of surprise when the pressure was slowly released. Her hand wandered to the back of her neck and she felt her now short pixie cut.

"That was only the beginning." Leo said with a snarl as he pulled off Meg's jacket and started carving into her skin.

* * *

Sirius awoke in the rubble of the building with his face just barely poking above the surface.

"Meg" He whispered to himself as he started to push himself up to the surface.

He winced as he felt the cuts and bruises that the explosion had given him. He gingerly got to his feet and cradled his left arm which he was pretty sure was broken. He looked around for his wand and found it covered in debris a foot away from him.

"Meg!" He shouted as he limped around the battle scene. "Megan! Megan Woods!"

He looked around for a little while longer hesitantly stepping over the few bodies that he found. Sirius wondered why no one was on the scene but then he remembered that the mall had been evacuated once the fighting started. He finally gave up looking for Meg and apparated back to the Woods house.

Given his current state, he landed on his knees still clutching his injured arm. Sirius instantly knew that something was wrong and raised his wand up. Then he remembered Leo's comment about Meg's mother being easy to get information from.

The door to the house was blown in and a window was broken. As he made his way into the house, Sirius noticed the damage to the interior decor and furniture.

"Hello? Art? Mr. or Mrs. Woods?" Sirius called as he cautiously made his way farther into the home.

When Sirius made it to the living room he found exactly what he didn't want to find. Mr. and Mrs. Woods were lying on the floor and if Sirius didn't know any better, he would think that they were sleeping. They had some bruises and dirt on their arms but their faces were relatively unharmed. Art was kneeling next to them and it was clear that he had arranged their dead bodies so that they were more at peace.

"Meg?" Art asked with his voice cracking slightly.

Sirius shook his head. "I don't know."

Art nodded his head and started to stand up.

"They raided the house and tortured my parents for information. I did my best but they still killed them and then disappeared after a while." Art said.

"They caught us at the mall and we were outnumbered. One of them blasted me into a wall and knocked me out. When I woke up, Meg was gone." Sirius said. "I'm going back to England and I suggest that you come back with me. I trust that you've heard of the Order of the Phoenix?"

When Art nodded Sirius continued.

"Well, we're real and we can give you protection-"

"The protection is very appreciated but I want to join." Art interrupted.

"Are you sure Art? Your involvement can put you in a lot of danger."

"I'm sure. I want to fight for my sister and my parents."

"Well then, we should get going and we can have Dumbledore give you the location of headquarters." Sirius said making a move towards the door.

"Wait!" Art said grabbing Sirius' shoulder and pulling him back. "What about mom and dad? I'm not leaving them here and it would be tough to bring two bodies to England."

"You're right." Sirius said thoughtfully before his eyes lit up. "I'll send a patronus to James! One minute Art."

Sirius took his wand out and, with one arm still clutched to his side, he conjured a patronus. The large shaggy dog ran around the room before coming back to Sirius and opening its mouth.

"We've been attacked. I repeat we have been attacked. Mr. and Mrs. Woods are dead. Meg is... Meg is missing. Send help." Sirius said before the patronus ran out of the room and vanished.

Sirius finally sat down and winced as the movement disturbed his arm.

"Ok. With any luck, James should get a team together and get here within an hour. Until then, I suggest you get any of your things that you're bringing to England with you."

* * *

Meanwhile, at Potter Manor, James and Lily were sitting down with Sophie and Dudley. The kids had their school books out and James was eating a snack while Lily helped Sophie. The family looked up suddenly as Sirius' patronus formed in the middle of their study room.

"Sirius." James muttered as he stood up.

The kids forgot about their textbooks and left them open as they too stood up to see what was going on. Lily grabbed her wand and grabbed the kids shoulders.

The dog opened its mouth and Sirius' voice filled the once silent space.

"We've been attacked. I repeat, We have been attacked. Mr. and Mrs. Woods are dead. Meg is... Meg is missing. Send help."

James heard the waver in Sirius' voice when he was talking about Meg and was immediately worried about his friend.

"Alright. Sophie, Dudley, we're going to drop you off at the Weasleys ok? We'll be back by tonight." James said taking control of the situation.

"But what about Uncle Sirius?" Sophie questioned as he parents ushered her out of the room.

"We'll handle it and get him home safely ok?" Lily said. "I'll take them and hopefully get Arthur to come with us. Can you handle getting Dumbledore? I think you should also grab Remus and Tonks to come with us." Lily added.

"Yeah, meet back here in 20?" James said as he made his way over to the floo room.

"Faster if we can." Lily said as she and the kids disappeared into the floo.

James left a minute after them and fond himself in the headmaster's office.

"Hello James! To what do I-" Dumbledore greeted with a smile.

"No time for pleasantries I'm afraid Professor. Sirius has been attacked while in American. He sent a patronus asking for help. So far we know that two people are dead and one missing." James said.

"Oh dear. Ok, James could you please send a patronus to Remus asking him to come here right away? I'm assuming Lily is dropping the kids off somewhere?" Dumbledore said as he stood up.

"Yes sir. She's dropping them off at the Weasleys and hopefully getting Arther to come with us if that's ok. We were also thinking that we should notify Tonks."

"Yes, good idea. She is his cousin after all."

James sent off the patronus to Remus as Dumbledore sent one to Tonks. They both arrived within minutes and they all moved to Potter Manor. Lily was already waiting there with Arther and Bill Weasley who had happened to be at home when Lily came by. Molly was more than happy to watch the kids and soon everyone was rushing through the international floo network. They were all in glamor charms (except for Tonks who just morphed her appearance.) so that they wouldn't be recognized and people would just think that they were running late to an event. Before long, they were in America and they stayed in glamor charms just in case some death eaters had stayed around. The group momentarily panicked when they realized that they didn't have an address. Dumbledore stood by with a knowing twinkle in his eye and then James chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know where it is." He admitted.

"How? You've just met her!" Lily exclaimed.

"Well, not really. Her parents and my parents used to be good friends and I used to know her when she was little. I only remember because my parents have pictures of us together and stuff but I hadn't seen her in years before Sirius brought her to the house. When they moved away, they had my family visit them so I know where we're going."

"Well then let's go! Apparate us there! The wards must be down if they've been attacked so let's get going!" Lily exclaimed.

"Wait, if the wards are down we can just floo there! It's called Woods Residence on Redwood Ave. Although, Lily and I will apparate there first to make sure that the floo isn't blocked."

The group nodded their consent and soon Lily and James had appeared in the greeting room of the Woods house.

"Sirius! Sirius!" James yelled as he pulled his wand out and started to speed walk through the house.

"James?" Sirius asked as he emerged from the living room.

"Sirius! Oh my gosh are you ok mate?" James asked as he embraced Sirius.

"I think I messed my arm up but other than that I should be ok." Sirius said lifting up his arm with a wince.

"I've got it!" Lily said as she moved closer to take a look.

"I'll go get the others. They have a floo here right?" James asked Sirius.

"Yeah, over by the kitchen." Sirius said.

"Alright, be back in a few." James said as he apparated out.

He popped back over to the other Order members and directed them to the fireplace and then returned back to the Woods house. Soon, all the people in their rescue group were there and searching around for evidence. Lily fixed Sirius' arm and then informed James that she and a few of the others were going to take a look at the mall that Sirius told them was also attacked.

"Right, I'll stay here." James said.

Lily nodded and left with Tonks and Bill to go inspect the mall.

"Hey Padfoot, does Stuart still live here?" James asked moving closer to his best friend.

"Stuart?" Sirius asked as he flexed his newly fixed arm.

Just then, Art walked down the stairs with a backpack slung over his shoulder.

"Stuart!" James exclaimed as he moved to shake hands with his old friend.

"James?" Art asked his mouth breaking into a smile for the first time that day. "Is it really you?"

"In the flesh." James said as he and Art embraced. "Glad to see you alive Stuart."

"You know how much I hate when you call me that Potter." Art said with a groan.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, we were friends as kids although I am surprised Jamie remembers."

James rolled his eyes at the nickname but didn't protest much to Sirius' amusement.

"Mum and Dad kept pictures and you didn't move here until you were, what like 13?" James said.

"Yeah, right after Leo left." Art confirmed.

"Oh, about that," Sirius started. "Your brother was part of the raid today. He was the one who took Meg."

 **A/N- Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! For some reason I have just been on a roll with writing this week so I hope you enjoy this extra chapter! I also posted a one-shot (FINALLY!) which is called The Primary School Reunion so if you want to check that out it would be very appreciated! As always please leave a review because they make my day and I'll see you next week,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	43. Chapter 45- Nightmares

**January 6th- Hogwarts**

"Wait, so they were attacked in America?" Hermione whispered as she, Ron and Harry sat in a corner of the Gryffindor common room.

Harry had cast 'Muffilito' around them so no one could hear their conversation about a letter that had arrived that morning.

"Yup. Sirius is pretty calm which is surprising." Harry remarked.

"Harry! Surely you can't be that daft!" Hermione exclaimed. "He's obviously covering up. He doesn't want anyone to worry about him when they could be helping to find Megan."

"Or he's actually really calm?" Ron suggested.

Hermione facepalmed and shook her head.

"Boys." She muttered.

"Anyway, Harry when's your next lesson with Dumbledore? You haven't had one for a few weeks." Ron said shaking his head at Hermione.

"He hasn't sent me anything recently." Harry replied. "Probably because he's been so busy with the Order."

So far, Harry had viewed all of Tom Riddle's family history and was now getting into the childhood memories.

"What is the Order doing about the attack?" Hermione asked leaning in closer as though she were scared that someone would overhear them.

"Meg's brother joined and they've been trying to locate Meg. So far, they have a few leads but none have actually lead anywhere." Harry replied.

"Well, what are they going to do once they find where she's being held? I mean it's not really as simple as waltzing up to the door and demanding access." Ron said.

"We're not sure. But between us three, I've heard some of the Order members talking about Sophie. They want to ask her if she knows anything." Harry replied.

"Well, she might know something! She could know about the security measures that You-know-who uses or something." Ron said.

"No." Harry said firmly taking his friends by surprise. "I don't want anyone to force her into saying anything. Even if she does know, she's never talked to anyone about her time with Voldemort and whenever anyone brings it up, she just tenses up and no one is going to make my little sister uncomfortable."

"Ok! Calm down Harry. I was only suggesting it. No-one is going to force her to do anything." Ron said putting his hands up.

Harry let out a breath and sighed.

"I'm sorry Ron. I'm just stressed with the attack and I just don't want anyone to pressure Sophie or anything."

"We get it Harry. You're just doing what a good brother does." Hermione said with a smile.

"Anyway, come on. We better get going or we'll be late to dinner." Ron said standing up.

"All you ever think about to food!" Hermione said with a laugh as she followed him out of the common room.

Harry canceled the charm and then caught up with his friends. The great hall was the same as always except Harry noted the absence of Dumbledore. He had been gone during various meals the last few days which wasn't surprising considering everything that had been going on.

"Is Dumbledore out again?" Hermione asked once the food had been served. "I mean there has been a lot of Order business recently but he really should be at the school more."

"He's probably just checking up to see if anyone found anything else." Ron replied.

"Yeah, you're right." Harry remarked as he lifted a spoonful of soup to his lips.

He glanced around the hall to look over at the Slytherin table and noticed someone else missing. Over the last few months, Harry was getting more and more suspicious of Malfoy. He had tried to follow him a few times under the cloak but every time he would look at the map, Malfoy would disappear. He had also found Malfoy looking paler and much less put together than he would normally be.

"You know guys, I think I'm actually going to go back to the dorm. I'm not feeling too hungry." Harry said standing up pushing his plate back to the center of the table.

"Harry! You have to eat something." Hermione reprimanded.

"I'll sneak into the kitchen later. I just want to turn in early." Harry lied.

Hermione looked skeptical but still nodded and let Harry leave. Harry walked to an empty classroom and then got out the marauders map. He quickly glanced over it and found that Draco Malfoy was nowhere to be seen.

"Where could you be." Harry muttered to himself as he exited the classroom and made his way to the owlery.

 _'Dear Dad,' Harry wrote on a scrap of parchment. 'I was wondering if there was anywhere that the map doesn't show. Tell Sophie and Dudley that I'll write them this week._

 _Love,_  
 _Harry'_

"Here you go Hedwig." Harry said handing the messy letter to his owl. She affectionately nipped his ear before taking to the sky and zooming out of the castle. Harry stayed there for a moment, watching as she disappeared into the sunset, before he walked out and back to the common room.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Potter Manor Sophie lay in bed. She was sleeping peacefully dreaming that she was dancing in the woods when suddenly, she was no longer in the forest. She was sitting in the tall grass with houses in the background.

"Hello?" Sophie called but no one seemed to hear her.

"Sophie! Soph come dance with me!" Someone called.

"No." Sophie mumbled as she recognized the voice.

"Soph come on! You promised you would practice with me today!" The voice called again.

"Charlotte?" Sophie asked hesitantly as she turned around.

"I was wondering when you would turn around." The voice, Charlotte said.

Now that Sophie turned around, she could see that Charlotte looked the same as she always had. Her frizzy hair puffed around her face and obscured one of her eyes. She was wearing ripped jeans and a tee-shirt with a cat on it.

"Charlotte? What's going on?" Sophie asked as she stepped closer.

"Well, you told me that we could practice again today. Lex and Conner are sick of me dragging them into all my performances so you said that you would help me." She replied with a smile. "You're still up for it right? Cuz if not I could always go get the boys."

"No. No, you're not real. I'm sorry Lottie." Sophie said using her friend's old nickname.

"Sophie? What are you talking about?" Charlotte said taking a step closer. "Are you feeling ok?"

"No. No stop this. I can't do this." Sophie said taking a step back.

Suddenly the skies got dark and the wind seemed to pick up. Sophie would recognize this scene anywhere. This was the day of the attack. Suddenly, a masked death eater apparated over and pointed a wand at Charlotte.

"Avada Kedavra!" He shouted as Sophie screamed.

* * *

Sophie woke up with a gasp and shot up in her bed. She sobbed quietly as she remembered her dream.

"I'm sorry Lottie. I'm so so sorry." She muttered as she clung to her sheets which were wet from her sweat. Sophie got out of bed and checked the time on the clock in her room. Unfortunately, it was four in the morning so she couldn't go downstairs yet and she didn't want to wake anyone so she settled for checking on Melody. The kitten stared up at her with big eyes and Sophie smiled through her tears.

"Come here Mel." Sophie said as she picked the fluffy cat up. Melody sat happily in her arms until Sophie set her on the bed where she promptly dropped down and snuggled up next to Sophie.

"Look Lottie. I finally got a kitten and I named it Melody just like we wanted to." Sophie whispered a few stray tears still running down her face. "I wish you and Harmony could be here though."

Sophie sat there for hours until the sun rose and she plastered a smile onto her face as she walked downstairs to join the rest of her family.

* * *

 **January 8th- ?**

Meg sat in the middle of her cell gasping for breath from her recent torture session. Her now tangled, short hair was matted to her head with sweat. Her face was covered in dried blood and dirt from the floor of her cell. Her clothes were all ripped except for her leather jacket which she had stashed in the corner of her cell. Her back had blood running down it from when her brother had carved the word 'Traitor' into her skin. Her arms and legs were also cut up and had various bruises on them.

"The Dark Lord is growing impatient Meg. He's going to give you one more week to tell us everything you know about the Order." Leo said as he turned to leave.

"Then what? You kill me and don't get any information?" Meg snarled with a raspy voice.

"Don't you see Meg? We can capture more of the Order if you don't comply with our request. Pick off the weakest first and then make our way up the pyramid." Leo replied.

"None of us will tell you anything." Meg rasped.

"We'll see about that." Leo said with a smirk as he walked out of the door.

Once she was sure her brother had left the cell, Meg crawled over to her jacket and searched the pockets. She didn't trust herself to use the mirror compact just in case the room wasn't sound-proof and the death eaters heard her talking. After every torture session, she would check that she still had the mirror so that she could contact Sirius if she escaped.

'When you escape.' Her mind corrected her.

Meg knew that for now there was nothing she could do so she slumped in the corner, being careful not to put pressure on any of her wounds and closed her eyes.

* * *

Sophie hid behind her bedroom door in Potter Manor listening to the conversation that was taking place a little bit down the hall.

"No. You know how she s about her time with them. You can't expect her to talk about it." James' voice said.

"James, she might know something. Something that could help us with this rescue and future rescues." Dumbledore's voice said.

"No. I'm sorry sir but I can't allow that. She's finally getting comfortable here and I'm not going to ruin that." James replied.

Sophie could picture him using his hands too much and playing with his unruly hair.

"James-"

"No! She is just a CHILD!" James yelled.

Sophie heard him sigh and pictured him dropping his head and running a hand through his hair.

"Please Prongs. Please, I won't force her into anything but I just have to know. I need to know if there's anything. Even the smallest detail that could help me find her. You can be in the room with us and I could just her questions and if she's uncomfortable or doesn't want to answer then it's fine. But please Prongs. I have to know." Sirius' voice joined in.

Sophie could hear his voice wavering and she stopped listening. She slid down against the wall opposite the door and waited. She could feel a lump in her throat forming and she closed her eyes. Images of prisoners flashed in her mind. They were bloodied and bruised and one was dead. She gasped and her eyes flew open and she quickly glanced around the room. She let out a sigh of relief that she was still in Potter Manor and then she went back to waiting. She fidgeted with her hands and finally, the door opened and Sirius and James walked in.

"Hey Sophie," James started. "Sirius just wanted to ask you a few questions ok? You don't have to answer ok?"

Sophie nodded.

"Ok. Just like James said Sophie, you don't have to answer any of these. I just want to find Megan and you might have some information ok?" Sirius said.

Sophie nodded again.

"Ok. Now, do you know of any locations that Voldemort might use to keep prisoners?"

A timid head shake.

"Ok. Do you know anything about the security that Voldemort uses to protect locations?"

Another head shake.

"Do you know anything about the security of the prisoners? Or anything about how they're treated?"

Sophie looked Sirius in the eye fearfully and scanned his face. He looked slightly tired and worn but his eyes showed just how worried he really was. Sophie thought about not telling them She didn't have to answer but an image of the dead prisoner entered her mind again. She met Sirius' eyes and then spoke softly.

"There are two types of cells. They have the regular torture cells and then the, the other cells." Sophie began. "The regular torture cells are usually not soundproof which is probably why she hasn't tried to contact you using the compact. The calls you stayed in where soundproof because Voldemort had some big meeting that he didn't want to be disturbed. When a person is in the torture cell, they are usually tortured for information and if they don't give up what the death eater wants, they go to the other cells. These cells are soundproof because they are much worse than the other cells."

"So what happens in those cells?" Sirius pressed slightly.

Sophie looked away and James spotted the slight wetness of her eye and he nodded to Sirius.

"Thank you so much Sophie. You really have no idea what this means to me." Sirius said as he stood up from his position on the ground.

"I do and that's why I told you." Sophie whispered as they walked out.

 **A/N- Wow! That was a lot in one chapter! How did you guys like it? I really enjoyed writing it! I'll have another chapter up on Wednesday so stay tuned as well as a chapter of WBCHB on Saturday. Maybe there will be another chapter of Mysteries of Saturday too who knows?**

 **Anyway, I wanted to tell you guys about a fantastic forum I found called Madame Pince's Bookclub that you should check out! I'm a member on there and it's just starting out so it would be great if you guys want to take a look. I think that you'll really enjoy it!**

 **Thanks for reading,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	44. Chapter 46- Free?

**January 15- ?**

Meg was laying on the cement floor as usual. Over the course of the last week, the torture had gotten worse as Leo tried to get information from her. She was sure that a few of her ribs were broken and her voice was faint and raspy from her screams. She tried not to sit up much because it hurt her to breathe. She had wrapped her jacket around her to keep her warm and to make the ground a bit comfier. The door clicked open and Meg shakily turned her head to face her brother.

"Hello Meg. I wish it didn't come to this point but unfortunately, you have given me no other choice." Leo said as he signaled to the other death eaters.

They picked her up and held her arms as she inhaled sharply because of her aching muscles. She weakly limped and kept up with the death eaters as they took her through hallways of prisoners. The prisoners were either slumped over or they would come to the door and bang to be let out. Meg was finally brought into a row of cells different than the other ones. She couldn't hear anything but there was a window looking into each one. The prisoners inside had death eaters leaning over them and looked on the verge of death. Most of them were crying or unconscious but Meg couldn't hear any of them. Meg felt sick and before she could stop herself, she vomited.

"It didn't have to come to this Meg." Leo repeated once again cleaning up the mess.

The death eaters led Meg into a room with a large window on one side. There was a bed in front of it that had straps all over it to secure its occupants. There was a table next to the bed with syringes, needles, and potion bottles. There was also a knife and a few towels.

Meg tried to put up a fight but at this point was too weak to do any damage. The death eaters put her on the bed and started to tie her wrists down and then Meg remembered something her dad had taught her a long time ago. She flexed her wrists discreetly so that the rope would be loose when she relaxed. They tied her ankles and then put a belt near her face in case Leo wanted to use it later on.

"Ok Meg. I'm sure you remember Art and I's fascination with potions right?" Leo said as he approached the table. The other death eaters left the room and closed the door. "Well today, I get to play with a few and see what they do!"

Meg glared at him and looked out the window.

"You could thank me you know. I did get you the best room in the house. Now you can die looking outside." Leo said. "It can also be used so that I can give you potions that make you believe that your worst nightmare is right outside the window. Now, where is that bloody poison?" Leo said as he stood up and walked out of the cell.

Meg waited until he was gone and then relaxed her wrists and carefully slid her hands out. Then she grabbed the knife from the table and sliced her ankles free. She felt her muscles protesting but she knew that this would be her only chance. She stood up on the bed, knife still in her hand and took a deep breath before ramming herself through the window. It shattered over her and she released a ragged breath of pain and relief. Luckily the room was on the first floor so she just hoisted herself through the window and landed on her feet. She stumbled forward and almost fell but the adrenaline kept her going and she ran as fast as her muscles would allow her. She heard an exclamation of anger coming from the manor and then she heard footsteps. She ran and breathed heavily as her muscles started to give out on her but she knew that if she didn't run, she would die.

Finally, a forest came into her sight and Meg quickly ran in and checked behind her but found no one following too closely. She jumped into a bush and waited as she heard the footsteps getting closer and closer. Then, she saw half a dozen boots come to rest by her bush and she dared herself to stay quiet even though her lungs screamed for air.

"It looks like she got away." One of the voices said.

"She'll be dead by nightfall anyone." Leo's voice said. "But, the Dark Lord will be expecting a body... Avada Kedavra!"

A body fell to the ground next to Meg and she did everything she could to not let out even a tiny squeal.

"Good. Now with a few glamor charms, he should be taken care of. I don't suppose I need to alter anyone's memories? Good. Let's go."

The boots and voices faded and Meg allowed herself to breathe. Her ribs were cutting her off from taking deep breaths but she still managed to relax a bit and let her lungs fill up. She took the knife and glided it over her gloved palms. It was in good shape and would hopefully protect her until she could find help. Then she opened her secret jacket pocket and took out her compact mirror. She took a deep breath and opened the mirror.

"Sirius Black." She whispered.

* * *

Sirius was sitting at Grimmauld Place pouring over maps of suspected death eaters hideouts. He had files of death eater profiles and records to reference and still, he couldn't find her anywhere. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up from his chair, running his hand through his hair.

"Padfoot." A tired voice said from the entrance to the kitchen.

James stood there with a frown on his face.

"I'm sorry Prongs but I have to find her." Sirius said turning back to his papers.

"I know Pads I know but, I think you need to take a break. I mean look outside! It's snowing! We could go out and play as Prongs and Padfoot just like we used to." James suggested.

"I know Prongs. But I just can't leave. She's out there somewhere and if she calls, I need to be ready. You understand don't you?" Sirius asked.

James sighed but nodded.

"I would be the same if it was Lily missing. Just remember that we're all here for you ok?"

Sirius cracked a small smile.

"Yeah. Thanks James."

Sirius turned back to his maps and turned to a file that he had been studying a lot lately. There was a picture of a handsome bloke smirking at the camera as he held up a prison number.

"Where are you holding her Leo?" Sirius murmured as he flipped the page of his file.

He had been arrested for being a death eater when he was only 18 years old. He stayed in Azkaban until a recent mass break out set him free. Since his time in prison, he had become more vicious and less patient but he still had a lot of knowledge and was quite the force to be reckoned with.

Sirius sighed and looked at the compact again. He had it next to him at all times and he continuously checked it just to make sure that Meg wasn't calling him. He turned back to his map when suddenly he heard the faint whisper that he had been waiting for.

"Sirius?" Meg's raspy voice asked through the mirror.

Sirius whipped around and cradled the compact close to him.

"Meg!" Sirius shouted.

She looked worse for wear but she was alive and that was all that mattered to him.

"Sirius! Oh my gosh you have no idea how glad I am to see you!" Meg exclaimed.

"Are you ok? Where are you? I can have an army at your location in less than five minutes if you want!" Sirius said.

"I'm ok. A few broken ribs, maybe a few infected cuts but I should be ok." She replied her voice still raspy.

"Do you know where you are?" Sirius asked.

"No. I just barely escaped and I don't have a wand on me."

"Ok well I'll come up with something, we could send search teams, we could try to track your brother, we could-"

"Sirius I appreciate the effort but I'm literally in the middle of a forest and I have no idea where I am. I'm going to try to make it to the nearest town and then I'll send you a location ok?"

"Ok. While you do that I'll have people trying to track your location ok?" Sirius said.

"Thanks Sirius." Meg said with a soft smile.

"Stay warm ok? You still have that leather jacket right?" Sirius asked.

"Yup. I think it has a warming charm on it because it's still really warm. I'll call you later ok?"

"I am going to have to thank that store when we go back huh? Call me every hour. I need to know that you're ok." Sirius said.

"Ok fine. Every hour but just to check in ok?"

"Ok."

"Oh wait, Sirius?" Meg asked.

"Yes, Meg?"

"Is my family there?"

"Art is here." Sirius said not wanting to tell Meg about her parent's death.

"What about my parents?" Meg asked. "Please tell me that they're ok."

"I'm so sorry Meg. Art did everything he could but he couldn't save them."

Silent tears ran down Meg's face but she slowly sniffed and wiped away any wetness from her cheeks.

"Could I talk to Art for a bit?" Meg asked.

"Yeah. Of course, let me call him for you. One minute." Sirius said as his image disappeared from the screen.

"Megan!" Art said as he stepped into the frame. "I'm so glad you're ok!"

"Hey bro. Glad to see you too." Meg replied with a small smile.

"Stay safe please. I really can't lose you." Art said.

"I know." Meg said softly. "I'll hopefully see you soon ok? As soon as I have a location, Sirius is going to probably send the whole army."

"Yup. You know sis, he has my approval. No one has ever cared this much about you other than Mom, Dad and I." Art said with a smile.

"Art! I can't believe you really! Did none of my other boyfriends fit your standards? But really, he is pretty great isn't he?" Meg said.

"Yeah. You have to come home soon ok? He is really worried."

"I'm trying my best. I should get going actually." Meg said apologetically.

"Ok." Art said hesitantly. "Do you want to wait for Sirius? He's gone and exclaimed to everyone who'll listen that you're ok."

Meg let out a short laugh but then clutched at her side.

"Just tell him that I'll call him later ok? I'm hoping to get out of these woods by nightfall and that's never going to happen if I keep sitting here."

"Yeah. Ok. Well, call us later ok?"

"Will do. Bye Art."

"Bye Meg." Art said as he closed the compact.

* * *

Meg wandered through the woods careful not to make to much noise just in case any death eaters were still around. She clutched the knife tightly in her right hand with her left resting over the pocket where her compact breakout. The sun was starting to set and if she didn't hurry, she would be stuck in the middle of the forest in the dark. Her muscles were starting to give out on her and as much as she tried, she knew that she couldn't make it much farther. She slowly came to a stop next to a large tree with many branches.

"Alright Meg. You can do this. Just a little more and then you can relax." Meg mumbled to herself.

She tried to hoist herself onto the first branch but let out a whimper of pain when the branch collided with her ribs. She brought herself back to the ground and then tried again, this time successfully pulling herself onto the branch. She let out a sigh of relief that was mingled with pain since her broken ribs were obviously putting a strain on her lungs.

"Ok one more. Just o get a little higher. You can do his Megan. One more." She mumbled again as she lifted herself up to the next branch.

She settled herself on the branch and rested against the trunk of the tree. Her muscles protested at her lifting her legs up to rest on the branch so she let them lang limply off the branch. Her shoes were caked with snow and mud and her teeth chattered as the cold, winter breeze blew by. She reached into her pocket and removed the compact to call Sirius.

"Sirius?" Meg said into the compact.

"Hey Meg! Are you still ok? We're all trying our best to find you ok?"

"I know." Meg said with a slight waver in her voice.

"Meg?" Sirius asked.  
"I'm sorry I'm just scared. I'm really really scared Sirius and my legs hurt and my feet are cold and I'm starving and I'm sorry but I just really want to be home." Meg said tearfully. "I've been trying to be strong. I'm really trying but I'm terrified Sirius."

"Hey. Hey it's ok. None of us expect you to be some invincible soldier. But you can't give up ok? I wish that I could be there, that I could help you and we will find you ok? You are a very strong person Meg. One of the strongest, most amazing people I have ever met. We're going to bring you home and when we do, you can have any meal you want. And I'm make sure to get you some warm fuzzy socks and you can take a nice warm bath. Ok? Just hang in there a little longer." Sirius said reassuringly.

Meg nodded and sniffled.

"I'm sorry I'm such a mess-"

"No. You are not a mess Meg. You are beautiful." Sirius said with a warm smile.

"Thank you Sirius but really. I'm covered in dried blood and dirt." Meg replied giving him a watery smile.

"You still look gorgeous to me."

"You really are the best you know that Sirius." Meg said reaching her arm up to wipe a stray tear from her cheek.

"I know." Sirius said with a grin.

Meg let out a small chuckle but quickly stopped because of the shooting pain in her ribs.

"Don't get too cocky mister. I can't let you get too out of line even if I'm not there to hit you." Meg said jokingly.

"Yes M'Lady." Sirius said with a cheeky grin.

"Hey, do you mind sitting on here for a bit? I just don't want to hang up yet." Meg said hesitantly.

"I'll stay here for as long as you want me to." Sirius said.

"Thanks Sirius." Meg said as she relaxed against the tree trunk.

"Anything for you Meg." Sirius said softly.

And away from the compact Meg smiled to herself.

 **A/N- Ok! Here is your chapter of Mysteries for the week! On Saturday I'll be posting a chapter of Brothers so please don't forget to check that out! Also don't forget to take a look at Madame Pince's Bookclub! If you just search that, it should come up as a forum and then you guys can enjoy! Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you later!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	45. Chapter 47- Potion?

**January 16th- Hogwarts**

"They found her!" Harry exclaimed as he held a letter in his hands.

"What?" Ron asked, his mouth still stuffed with food.

"Megan! She's ok! Dad said that she managed to escape and they're trying their best to track her down." Harry said.

"That's wonderful Harry! Do you know if they've made any progress with finding her location?" Hermione asked.

"No. Dad said that Sirius has been pouring over maps and various books but he still hasn't been able to find anything."

"You know, I finished all my classwork maybe I could search in the library for something," Hermione added thoughtfully.

"We could help you Hermione," Ron suggested.

"No Ron because last I checked you still hadn't finished that essay for Lupin or the assignment from McGonagall!" Hermione exclaimed. "Your school work is more important than helping me search through books."

Hermione gathered her things and then walked out of the Great Hall presumably to go to the library. The boys watched her leave and then turned back to their food.

"She really needs to get her priorities straight," Ron muttered.

Harry laughed and stood up from the table.

"Come on, she's right I mean Mcgonagall is going to hex us if we don't turn in that project," Harry said.

The boys walked back up to their dormitory talking along the way about Meg and their schoolwork. The common room was almost empty when they walked in since most of the students were still at breakfast or already in class so they sat down in the seats directly across from the fireplace. After lots of writing, confusion and muttered swears from the boys their homework was done and they were running late to class. They shoved all of their things into their school bags and took off through the halls skidding to a stop in front of Professor Lupin's door.

"Where have you boys been? The class is going to start in less than a minute!" Hermione scolded as they walked over to her.

"We were finishing our homework and lost track of time," Harry answered. "Where's Lupin anyway? He's usually early to his lessons."

"No one knows. The door is locked but I'm sure he'll be here in a second. Anyway, I might have found something-" Hermione started.

Just then, Lupin stumbled out of the classroom door and invited everyone in.

"I'm so sorry class. One of my friends was in a spot of trouble and I had to step out for a moment. But onto today's lesson! We will be approaching the uncomfortable topic of werewolves today." Lupin said. He rubbed a tired hand over his scarred face and then looked around the room. "I could have gotten a substitute for this lesson as most of you probably know why this can be a bit of a sensitive subject for me to discuss, but I felt that I should be the one to teach you so that you don't get... misinformed. So the way that this s going to go is that I'm going to let you guys ask me questions and I'll answer them the best I can which is most likely pretty well since I am a werewolf myself."

The students started to whisper to each other which Harry couldn't tell if it was because they were excited or nervous.

"Now who wants to go first?" Lupin asked.

At first, no one moved or said a word but then Seamus raised his hand.

"What's it like to transform professor?" Seamus asked.

Lupin let out a small laugh.

"Yes this is one of the most popular questions and if I'm honest with you, it's terrible. I mean the transformation is basically breaking my bones and stretching my skin so that I can become an animal so I'm sure you can imagine that it's not pleasant."

"Sir, are those scars all from your transformations?" A shy ravenclaw asked.

"Most of them yes. Until the wolfsbane potion was invented, I didn't have control over my mind when I'm transformed so the wolf would get bored or sick of being confined and harm itself. But some of them are from pranks gone wrong or various battles."

The lesson went on like that until almost every student had asked a question and the class ended. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed behind as the class gathered their things and trickled out of the room.

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione! Do you three need anything?" Lupin asked.

"No sir. Actually, I might have found something to help the Order." Hermione said as she pulled a book out of her bag. She quickly flipped through it until she had found the page and then handed it to Lupin.

"We just need a piece of her hair and then we brew a potion, cast a spell and it'll lead us to Meg's exact location." She explained.

"This is amazing Hermione! How long does it take to brew the potion?" Lupin asked.

"It's a tricky potion but with the right ingredients, it should only take about an hour," Hermione said. "You said her brother is staying at headquarters right? Maybe he could brew it since Snape is teaching."

"Perfect! Hermione thank you so much. Maybe this'll finally calm Sirius down. I swear that man is going to run himself into the ground if he doesn't take a break soon." Lupin said.

"Is he really that bad?" Harry asked.

"You have no idea. He's been staying up all night to search for anything that might lead to her."

"He really likes her huh?" Ron said suddenly.

"I think so," Remus replied.

They talked for a few more minutes before Remus excused himself to go and take the book to Dumbledore. Harry insisted that the trio accompany him but Remus declined and told Harry that Dumbledore had actually asked if Harry could see him later tonight.

"He wants to see me?" Harry asked excitedly.

"Yes. I believe he said that you were needed in his office after dinner." Remus said.

"Would you mind telling him that I'll be there?" Harry asked.

"I'll tell him. Now you three should go. It's almost time for the next class."

The golden trio quickly walked out of the classroom and Hermione bid the boys goodbye as she ran down the hall towards ancient ruins. The boys made it to transfiguration just in time and sat in their usual seats towards the back. Mcgonagall had just started the lesson so they quietly got out their books and quills before whispering to each other.

"So do you think that they'll find Meg?" Ron asked.

"Yes. If Hermione thinks that the book will help then it will." Harry whispered back.

The lesson finished fairly quickly and the boys returned to the common room to wait for Hermione. She entered the portrait hole with Ginny by her side and Harry smiled. He felt that he had neglected his girlfriend lately because of all the Order stuff happening so he had been looking forward to seeing her. She smiled at him, walked over and sat on the arm of his chair.

"Hey Ginny," Harry said.

"Hi Harry. How's your day been?" Ginny inquired.

"Good," Harry replied shrugging. "Hermione found a spell that might help the Order find Megan."

"That's great! Sirius must be really worried about her." Ginny said.

"Yeah. Lupin says that he's driving himself mad to find her." Ron said.

"It must be awful. Know that she's out there somewhere but you just can't help her." Hermione added.

"I think it helps that she has a mirror though," Harry said having explained to his friends about the communication mirrors and how Sirius had been using one to talk to Meg.

"Yeah, but still," Hermione replied.

The conversation drifted and soon it was time for lunch so the group of friends stood up and left the common room.

* * *

"Professor?" Harry asked as he walked up the steps to the headmaster's office.

"Harry! I'm glad Remus told you to come meet me. Lemon drop?" Dumbledore inquired.

"No thank you sir," Harry replied as he took a seat across from Dumbledore.

"More for me I suppose. Who knew that muggles could make such addicting delicacies?" Dumbledore said as he popped a lemon drop in his mouth. "Anywho, today we will be reviewing a few more memories from Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts."

"He came to Hogwarts?" Harry asked confused as to how an evil wizard could be accepted.

"You have to remember that at this time, no one knew what a danger he would become. "

Harry and Dumbledore silently walked over to the penseive and dunked their heads in. About an hour later, the two came out of the memories.

"Well this is where I bid you good night my boy. Oh! And please tell Ms. Granger thank you for the potion. It has been a great help." Dumbledore said.

"She'll be thrilled to hear that Professor. Goodnight!" Harry replied as he raced down the stairs and back to the common room.

* * *

"How'd it go Harry?" Hermione asked as soon as he entered the common room.

"Good. He said that the potion has been a great help!" Harry replied.

"Oh good!" Hermione said. "Now come on, it's getting late and you should go to bed Harry."

"But Hermione-"

"No buts Harry! I've seen you lately, you look like you haven't gotten much sleep." Hermione said.

"I'm fine Hermione. Just a little stressed about some stuff." Harry replied casually.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked.

"Yes Hermione," Harry replied rolling his eyes.

"Well I still want you to get to bed," Hermione said.

Harry rolled his eyes but obeyed and walked up the steps to his dormitory. He quickly took a shower and then sat down on his bed to listen to the conversation.

"Hey Neville, who are you bring to Hogsmeade for Valentine's day?" Dean inquired.

"I haven't asked anyone yet," Neville confessed while blushing.

"Well who do you want to ask?" Seamus asked.

Neville blushed even more.

"Come on Neville! We're a trustworthy group!" Seamus pressed.

Neville mumbled something incoherent.

"What was that again Nev?" Dean asked.

"Hannah Abbott!" Neville suddenly shouted.

"Well you should go for it dude!" Ron said.

"Yeah go for it Neville!" Harry added.

"Well, what are you doing for Valentine's day Harry?" Neville asked.

Harry was about to reply when was a knock on the door and then Ginny opened the door. Her eyes widened slightly since most of the boys had just taken showers and were shirtless or wrapped in towels.

"Ginny! What are you doing in here?" Ron shrieked very unmanly.

"Well I was coming to say goodnight to my boyfriend Ronald," Ginny said as she bravely crossed the room and sat on Harry's lap. She smirked at Ron before turning and capturing Harry's lips in a heated kiss. Harry automatically held her steady by reaching his arm around her waist. She smiled against his lips and pulled back slightly so that she could whisper in his ear.

"Night Harry." She whispered.

"Goodnight Ginny," Harry replied slightly dazed.

Ginny delicately lifted herself off of Harry and walked out of the room with her hips swaying and a smirk on her lips.

"Watch it Potter," Ron grumbled once she was gone.

"Well I guess we know what Harry will be doing on Valentine's day," Seamus said while waggling his eyebrows.

"Seamus!"

 **A/N- Hi guys! I'm so sorry this took so long but I promise I'll really get on top of it and I'm going to try and churn out as many chapters as possible so that this will be finished soon. Thank you guys so much for reading and I'll see you next time.**

 **-Marauderette24**


	46. Chapter 48- Letters

**January 18th- ?**

"Meg! Megan Woods! Meg!" Sirius screamed as he sprinted through the forest.

The Order had finally finished the potion and just in time too. Meg hadn't responded when Sirius called her on the mirror so now the search was on to find the missing Order member.

"Ok so last time I talked to her she was in a tree but she couldn't have gotten too far up without injuring herself more.." Sirius mumbled to himself as he scanned his surroundings.

"Meg! Meg, it's me!" Sirius shouted once more.

The other Order members were stationed around the forest or were running through it like Sirius in an attempt to find Meg. Sirius was so busy trying to find Meg in a tree that he tripped on a tree root and fell to the ground. He started to push himself up but stopped when he noticed a ripped piece of cloth that was covered in blood. He transformed into Padfoot and pressed his nose to the fabric to try and smell Meg's scent. He sniffed the air around him to see if he could follow the scent to Meg and started marching forward until the scent got very strong. He switched back to his human form and looked at the treetops to see a small lump on one of the lower branches.

He hoisted himself onto it and looked at Meg's bloodied face. A gasp emerged from his mouth as he looked at her now short hair that was caked with dirt and some blood. He ran his hand along her cheek which woke her up slightly.

"Sirius?" She asked groggily.

"Yeah Meg. I'm here and I'm going to bring you home ok?" Sirius asked with a smile.

Meg stared for a moment before lowering her gaze.

"I'm sorry Sirius I wanted to move to a city to give you a location but it just hurt to move and I figured I should stay-"

"Hey hey hey. It's ok. I found you didn't I? Now we should get moving since the others are still waiting for us." Sirius said.

"You brought more people?" Meg asked as she tried to sit up with a wince.

"Well yeah, you didn't answer any of my calls so I figured we needed to find you fast." Sirius said.

"You called? I'm sorry I just keep falling asleep." Meg said.

"Meg do you feel well? You look a little pale." Sirus asked as his girlfriend shakily climbed down the tree with his help.

"I'll be ok Sirius." Meg said as she leaned heavily on Sirius to take weight off of her aching legs.

"Meg you are not walking all the way back to the group. I'll carry you." Sirius insisted.

"Sirius I can-" Meg was cut off by Sirius scooping her into his arms and lifting her up. He smiled at her but it faded as he felt something warm and liquidy on his hand. He moved it away from her leg and was shocked to see blood pouring out of a deep cut on her leg.

"Meg what happened!" Sirius asked.

"I don't remember." Meg replied as she looked down at her leg.

"Ok. I'm going to get you home so we can patch that up ok?"

"Ok." Meg replied as she buried her face into Sirius shoulder.

Sirius glanced at her and gave a worried look before taking off running.

* * *

 **January 20th- Hogwarts**

"Hermione your potion worked! Megan is back at Headquarters." Hary exclaimed as he read the newest letter from his parents.

"Yes! Thank goodness! Is she ok?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Yeah, she has some severe blood loss but they're saying that she'll be ok." Harry said. "Art will be making her some potions and things and she should be fully recovered in a week or two."

"Can't they cure her faster? I mean her brother is a potions master." Ron said through a mouthful of food.

"Ron! You know that certain potion ingredients can't mix or they have bad reactions! That's why they can't give her more than a few at a time." Hermione explained.

"Errrr, Anyway," Harry started since he could sense an argument coming. "Could you remind me that I have to write to Dudley and Sophie today because apparently they the mad that I haven't written to them in a few weeks." Harry asked as he reading the letter.

"Yeah and Harry you haven't written to them in weeks?" Hermione lightly scolded.

"I just forgot." Harry replied. "But I'll do it today just please don't let me forget."

"Fine but after you finish your school work please." Hermione said as she put her nose back into the transfiguration book she was reading and Ron turned back to his meal.

Satisfied that he had accomplished what he needed to do, Harry turned and looked around the rest of his table to see if anyone was talking about anything interesting. Dean and Seamus were sitting next to each other a few seats down but they looked like they were talking about something private. Neville was talking to Ginny and Brenda, a younger Gryffindor. Harry frowned slightly and glanced around the hall. He quickly noticed that Draco was sitting by himself again and he quietly watched him. Draco was pushing his food around on his plate with his fork and his striking blond hair partially fell on his face but he didn't seem to mind. The blonde looked around at the other Slytherins before standing up and leaving the Great Hall. Harry watched as he left and then said a quick goodbye to his friends before standing up and following Draco. Draco was running his hands through his hair and yanking on the platinum blond strands as Harry watched him from under his invisibility cloak. Draco turned the corner and checked behind him to ensure that no one followed him into the bathroom. Harry hid behind a statue and watched as Draco paced and finally settled at a sink.

"Damn it. DAMN IT!" Draco yelled as he banged his fists against the sink.

Harry crept closer under the safety of his invisibility cloak and watched as Draco leaned over the sink and cried. Just as he thought that Draco might have calmed down, he rushed over to one of the toilets and puked. Harry started to walk towards him but he found that there was no need since Draco came back moments later to clean himself up.

"Not what you expected aye Potter?" Draco questioned still facing the mirror. "I know you're there under your stupid cloak. Watching me. Waiting for me to enter the chamber of secrets or bring in the Dark Lord."

Harry stared at him as he flipped a piece of hair out of his face. His lips were curled and his eyes were dark and stormy.

"Look at me Potter! Did you expect to see the Slytherin ice king crying in a bathroom? Is this what you were waiting for?" Draco screamed.

Harry moved slightly closer as Draco turned around and surprisingly looked him right in the eye.

"You will mention this to no one or you will deeply regret it." Draco said softly and then he quickly turned and exited the bathroom.

* * *

 _Dear Sophie,_

 _Sorry I haven't written to you in ages but I've been really busy between classes and this whole Megan mission. Apparently, she's home now huh? I'm really terrible at writing letters so I hope you'll understand if this is a complete mess but I figured I should write to you since I haven't in a while. Hermione has been drilling me to do homework and Ron has been complaining a lot. Ginny's good but I haven't had a lot of time to spend with her. Sometimes I wish that Quidditch didn't take up so much time but without all the hours spent practicing, we wouldn't be nearly as good as we are today. I think I'll take her on a date for Valentine's Day since we get to go down to Hogsmeade._

 _Anyway, how are you? How's Melody doing? I hope she isn't causing too much trouble. I'll be home in a few months for summer vacation and then hopefully we can do some fun stuff while I'm home. I also have some stuff I need to tell you when I get home but I would rather do it in person since you never know who's reading your letters these days. Anyway I should go, I still need to write to Dud and Hermione wants me to go study with her._  
 _Love your brother,_  
 _Harry P._

* * *

 _Dear Dudley,_

 _Hey mate! Sorry I haven't written to you in ages but Hermione here keeps nagging me about my bloody homework! I mean bloody hell woman take a break! I miss having you here because while you were here, Hermione would stop bugging me about the bloody essays so I could do stuff with you. You know who else seems to miss you a bit? Cho Chang. She has asked me a few times if you were going to be coming back anytime soon. Maybe you should write to her?_

 _Anyway, how are things at home? I know mum and dad must be busy but I hope you're still enjoying it at my house. Wow it still feels a bit strange to say that. Erm anyway, I don't suppose you know when Sophie's birthday is do you? We're taking a trip to Hogsmeade and Ginny was talking about buying Ron some limited edition Chudley Cannons keeper helmet for his birthday. And it just got me thinking that I don't know when I need to get Sophie some stuff. Could you find out for me and write me a letter before Valentine's Day so that I know if I should get something?_

 _You're the best,_  
 _Harry P._

* * *

 _Dear Harry,_

 _Melody is a feisty little kitty! Yesterday I found her sitting on top of the fridge so I asked Dad to get her down and he scratched his hand! I think Dad said a bad word because Mum yelled at him afterward. I have been brushing Melody every day so that she stays nice and clean and fluffy. Mum and Dad have been very busy lately but they've also been giving me and Dudley some lessons. We have regular classes and then some self-defense. Dudley's already very good since he used to do boxing but I hope I'm doing ok too. Mum has also been teaching us how to brew potions. I think attacks have been increasing because Mum and Dad have had to leave more often and always come home looking stressed and worried._

 _I miss having you around. Dudley's great but it was nice to have someone who knows more about the magical world and is close to my age. When you come home I definitely think we need to talk._

 _Love your sister,_  
 _Sophie S.P_

* * *

 _Dear Harry,_

 _Cho asked about me? Really? Bloody hell I've only dated Christine from school! You remember her right? Really long brown hair and an ugly nose? I'll use Aunt Lily's owl to write her something tomorrow. By the way, your owl really likes treats. She nipped me until I gave one o her! Anyway, according to Aunt Lily and Uncle James, her birthday is in April. I have no idea what to get her! You're probably going to come up with something perfect and amazing aren't you? Some like enchanted, glowing swan or something?_

 _Anyway, Aunt Lily and Uncle James have been giving me and Sophie lessons from home. I never thought I would say it but I kind of miss going to school. How did they even explain that one to my friends and teachers?_

 _Your cousin,_  
 _Dudley D_

 **A/N- Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I actually really enjoyed writing it! Writing the letters was very helpful and fun because I got to try out different perspectives and styles of writing. I just wanted to let you guys know that I will be changing the rating of this story to T mostly just to be safe. I will continue writing everything the same way but there may just be a bit more light swears (as demonstrated by Draco) or slightly more details about romance. I hope you guys don't mind because again this is mainly just to be safe and I will not be changing anything drastically.**

 **I also have to address the fact that my school will be starting up again soon so I will be trying to stay on schedule but if I waver for a week, please don't be too mad. I'm going to finish this story very soon so hopefully after that I can take a break and focus on Brothers as well as my schoolwork. I am going to be writing a Valentine's day special so if there are any couples (that are in this story) that you would like to see in that chapter please leave a review down below and I will try to include them. Than you guys so much for reading and I'll see you next week!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	47. Chapter 49- Library Nightmares

**January 30th- Hogwarts**

"Are we viewing more memories today sir?" Harry asked as Dumbledore invited him to sit in his office.

"No not today Harry. Today I have a bit more of a... request." Dumbledore said.

"Sir?" Harry asked.

"There is one memory that I'm going to try and retrieve from an old colleague of mine that will give us some answers about how Voldemort survived in Godric's Hollow. If my theory is correct, we will need to take a little field trip and I'm assuming you want to come with me?"

"Of course sir!"

"Well, then I want you prepared. I'm not sure when we'll have to leave but I want you to have your invisibility cloak with you at all times and be ready to go at a moments notice."

"Yes sir," Harry said leaving out the fact that he already carried his cloak around to sneak around or spy on Draco.

"Good. You may go now Harry. I believe it is almost time for curfew."

"Yes sir. Goodnight sir."

* * *

 **January 31st- Potter Manor**

Sophie fell back onto the ground as a potion exploded in front of her. Lily was teaching a new brew this morning and both Sophie and Dudley were a bit confused and lost.

"It's ok Sophie. It's a hard potion. Why don't we take a break for a little bit? We can go to the pool or maybe get a snack?" Lily asked as she helped Sophie get to her feet.

"I'll take a snack," Dudley said as he abandoned his potion.

"Ok Sophie what about you? Would you like anything?" Lily asked.

"No thank you mum. I think I'll take a trip to the library if you don't mind."

"That's fine. Just be back later for the math lesson."

Sophie walked up the grand staircase and turned down the familiar hallway that led to the large library. She took a deep breath and walked into the huge library and immediately went towards her favorite spot. It was away from the large windows and instead was in a cozy corner near the back of the library. Sophie's favorite part of this area was a large, fuzzy chair that was surrounded by books waiting to be picked up by the pulleys.

She immediately collapsed onto the chair and picked out a book from the stacks. She started to read to herself as the pulleys made light background noise and the sun from the window shone lightly onto the ground. Eventually, Sophie's eyes started to grow heavy from all her nights of restless sleep and nightmares. After a few minutes, she was no longer in the library but in the same field that she was every night.

Charlotte was standing in front of her this time and she smiled until she started to bleed. Her face looked shocked as blood continued to pour out of her mouth and nose and eventually out a hole in her chest.

"Charlotte! Char! I'm sorry Char! Please!" Sophie screamed as Charlotte dropped to the ground in front of her and into a pool of her own blood. Sophie screamed and looked down at the face of her best friend.

"I'm sorry Lottie." She whispered and then all went black.

Sophie woke up with a jolt as she remembered her dream. Her breathing was ragged and she took quick breaths as she tried to calm herself down.

"Sophie? Where are you? Aunt Lily is making lunch if you want any!" Dudley's voice emerged from within the dozens of bookshelves.

Sophie took one last deep, shuddering breath before responding in, what she hoped, was a convincingly happy voice.

"I'm over here Dudley! I was just reading a book! I'll be downstairs in a few!"

"Ok if you say so. Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No thanks I'll be ok," Sophie shouted back hoping that Dudley would take her word for it and give her a little bit to compose herself.

"Ok I'll be waiting downstairs."

Sophie breathed a sigh of relief and slouched back onto the couch. She started to close her eyes again but an image of Charlotte flashed in her mind and her eyes immediately flew back open.

"I'm sorry Lottie," Sophie whispered as she got up and walked out of the library.

* * *

Meg was sitting in her bed staring out of the window. Her arm was still in a sling and her leg had a scar that she doubted would ever go away no matter how much medicine they gave her. She turned her head when she heard a knock at the door and smiled as her boyfriend entered.

"Hey Meg! How are you doing today?" Sirius asked as he set a tray of food down next to her bedside table.

"Ohh you know. About as good as I can be when my brother has me on house arrest." Meg said sarcastically.

"Well, how about we go out of a little bit? We could go for a quick fly on the motorbike. Be back before anyone notices that we're gone." Sirius suggested.

"Are you crazy? My brother is bound to find out!"

"And you are an adult who can take care of yourself for a half hour. Come on! You've been sitting around this house for two weeks. You don't want to go out for a little bit?" Sirius asked.

"I guess I do..." Meg said hesitantly.

"If you don't want to we don't have to but it'll be a bit of fun." Sirius insisted.

"Ok. Let me get a jacket and I'll meet you outside in five minutes." Meg said with a grin.

"I'll pick you up from the window. Just give me a minute." Sirius said as he rushed out of the room.

Meg grinned as she slung her worn leather jacket and leather gloves on for the first time in weeks. Molly had insisted that she not wear gloves while she was in the house and while it annoyed her, Meg had obeyed the older witch. It just made the feeling of freedom and strength all the more magnified when she finally put the gloves on after two long weeks. Her hair was a bit of a mess but Meg was still struggling to adjust to the drastic change in length so she hadn't really fixed her hair much since coming back home.

A quick glance in the mirror told Meg that she still looked a bit worn and tired but she rushed over to the window anyway. Sirius was already hovering there like a prince who had come to collect his princess. Except instead of vintage attire, both of them were clothed in leather and their mighty stead had been replaced by an old motorbike.

Sirius extended his hand to Meg as she hoisted her foot up onto the base of the motorcycle. With a little momentum and some help from Sirius, Meg swung her leg over and sat right behind Sirius. She grinned at the freedom and familiarity of the position and quickly told Sirius to take off before someone saw them.

"I've missed this." Meg said while the couple soured above London.

"Me too," Sirius said as he quickly glanced back at Meg.

Sirius steered the motorcycle over some lakes and rivers and then started the descent towards a deserted hill. Meg smiled at him as she hopped off and sat in the grass while Sirius made sure that the bike would stay. Meg smiled as Sirius sat down and she leaned her head onto his shoulder. They sat in silence for a while, just watching the stars until Meg started to speak.

"Sirius?" She said hesitantly. "Could I ask you something?"

"Yeah! Is everything ok?" Sirius asked as he turned to face his girlfriend.

"Yeah everything's fine but, I want to quit my job," Meg confessed. "I love what I do but I'm with the Order now and I don't want to be in that public position right now. My brother thinks I'm dead and I want it to stay that way for now."

"You can do whatever you want Meg. We've got people that can remove your name from the ministry's register and it'll be like you disappeared. I guess I also had something I wanted to tell you, I'm going to move out of Grimmauld Place. I don't know why I haven't done it sooner but I hated that place and it's more important for the Order to be able to use it."

Meg smiled at Sirius and Sirius leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

"How would you feel about coming to live with me Meg? We could find a house and your brother wouldn't be able to find you. I mean Art can come over whenever he wants but Leo can just-" Sirius said as he made an inappropriate gesture with his hand.

"But what about the Order? And Lily and James?" Meg asked.

"We would still be involved just not live in their headquarters. And Lily and James can visit or we can visit them." Sirius answered.

"Ok," Meg said slowly nodding her head. "Yeah! Ok let's do it!"

"I'll tell Dumbledore tomorrow but for now, it's time to go home."

 **A/N- Shorter and not as good as normal but you know, it's something! I have started school but I swear that this story is actually going to be finished in a month or two. The next chapter is the Valentine's day special so if you have any ships that you want to see in it, please let me know. Anyway, I'll see you in a week or two!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	48. Chapter 50- Valentine's Day Special!

**February 14- Hogsmeade**

The brisk winter breeze made Cho shiver as she walked down the pathway from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade. There was barely any snow on the ground but her feet still felt as if they were frozen and her scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck. Cho was planning on sitting in the three broomsticks with a warm hot chocolate since all her friends were on dates and unable to accompany her. Just as she was about to enter the store, she saw a familiar face waiting in the snow.

"Dudley?" Cho asked as she quickened her pace to catch up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Harry told me it was Hogsmeade weekend so I asked Aunt Lily and Uncle James if I could come," Dudley said as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"Are you doing anything today Cho?"

"No actually. My friends are all on dates and I was just planning on sitting in the three broomsticks. Why?" Cho asked with a smile.

"Well... erm I was wondering... if you would like to spend Valentine's day with me?" Dudley asked with a crooked smile.

"Of course! I would love to Dudley!" Cho exclaimed happily as she gave him a hug.

Dudley led Cho around to the three broomsticks and ordered two hot chocolates. The couple caught up and talked while they were waiting for their drinks and slowly learned a lot more about each other. Whe their drinks came, Cho happily accepted the warm cup and raised it to her lips. The whipped cream got on her lips and she happily licked it off while Dudley laughed at her.

After their drinks, they walked back out into the cold and Cho dragged Dudley into a boutique. Cho spun around in front of Dudley while he looked around, thoroughly confused by all the different items of clothing.

"What's the difference between that one and the last one?" He asked as Cho twirled around in a new dress.

"This one is a slightly different shade," Cho said. "It has different undertones."

Dudley nodded but still looked skeptical. Cho disappeared into the dressing room again and this time came out in a navy blue lace dress that fell to her mid-thigh.

"What do you think?" Cho asked as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"You look gorgeous!" Dudley said.

"You really think so?"

"Of course!"

Cho grinned. "Ok! I'll get this one."

They walked up to the register and just as Cho was pulling out her money, Dudley grabbed her hand.

"I've got it. You are my date after all." Dudley said with a smile.

"You're the best Dudley. I swear I'll pay you back sometime." Cho replied as she put her coin pouch away.

They walked around a bit more to Honeydukes and the Quidditch shop before it was time for Dudley to leave.

"Write to me ok?" Cho said as she was saying goodbye to Dudley.

"I will," Dudley said as he made a mental note about asking Aunt Lily for his own owl.

"I had a really great time today Dudley." Cho said as she took a step forward.

"Me too." Dudley replied with a smile.

Cho gave him one last hug before turning away towards the path back to Hogwarts. She listened as Dudley's footsteps started to fade and then she stopped.

"Hey Dudley?" She called out.

"Yeah?" Dudley asked as he turned around.

Cho took a long stride to stand right next to him and then leaned forward to deliver a soft kiss to his lips. It was short and before he even knew what happened, Cho had left and was walking back up the pathway. The only reason Dudley didn't dismiss it as a dream was because Cho turned around one final time and gave him a shy wave. Dudley watched as she disappeared from sight and then walked back towards Hogsmeade to where Lily was picking him up.

* * *

"Wait so you seriously didn't figure it out?" Ginny asked Harry as the couple continued to eat a bowl of ice cream.

"Figure what out?" Harry asked.

"You were just talking about how you haven't seen Dean or Seamus with a date in like a year." Ginny said.

"Well have you?" Harry asked.

"Harry I love you but I have no idea how you've survived this long since you have terrible observation skills."

Harry looked at her thoroughly confused.

"Dean and Seamus are gay Harry and they've both been on a few dates in the past few months." Ginny said.

"Oh." Harry said.

He supposed it made sense since they did seem to spend a lot of time around boys rather than girls.

"Come on. I want to go to the quidditch shop before we have to go back to school."

Harry stood up and followed Ginny out of the shop. Bits of her red hair blew out of her gray scarf that she had wrapped around her neck. Her winter robes fluttered behind her and her hips swayed as she walked confidently to the next store.

Harry smiled as he caught up with her and wrapped his arms around her from behind her. Ginny almost elbowed him in the stomach but she seemed to realize who it was a second before she actually moved. Harry laughed and kissed her head.

"You prat Harry! You scared me!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Sorry!" Harry exclaimed while still laughing.

Ginny rolled her eyes at him and kept walking. Harry jogged up to her side and smiled down at her. Ginny looked up at him and pressed a kiss to his lips and Harry immediately responded by moving his hands to her waist and pulling her away from all the people. Ginny slid her hands up to his hair and pressed Harry onto a nearby wall.

"Come on Harry. We've got to get to the stores." Ginny whispered as she pulled away.

"Oh right." Harry said lamely.

"Oh come on! It's not like I'm dragging you to Madame Puddifoots. Although I will if you don't hurry up and get your behind to the quidditch store!" Ginny said with a laugh.

Harry rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked off into the busy streets of Hogsmeade.

They finally got to the quidditch shop where Ginny grabbed a new pair of gloves and looked at the poster that was advertising them. Harry picked out a snitch that was made to not fly too far and a smaller pair of the gloves that Ginny had picked up for Sophie's birthday.

"Do you think that Sophie will like these?" Harry asked as he examined the gloves.

"Yeah! They're the newest style and Gwenog Jones used them in her last game" Ginny exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Are you getting a pair?" Harry asked as he saw the gloves in Ginny's hand.

"Yeah I've been saving up to buy some new ones for a while." Ginny said with a smile.

"Good. My chasers need to have the best gear. How else will we beat Slytherin?" Harry asked with a smirk.

Ginny rolled her eyes as they made their way to the counter. Harry was about to pay for his items when a shiny item caught his eye from behind the counter. It was a delicate gold necklace that had a snith hanging from it. The small wings fell limply at the sides of the smooth gold ball. There was a single diamond settled right in the middle of the snitch.

"Excuse me sir but how much is that necklace?" Harry asked the cashier.

"It's quite a beauty ain't it?" The man commented with a chuckle. " It's 75 galleons."

"I'll take it. Could you not gift wrap it with the rest please?" Harry asked.

"Of course sir." The man said as he moved to grab the necklace.

Soon enough Harry was holding a bag full of Sophie's gifts and Ginny was admiring her new gloves. Harry resumed his position of having his arm draped around Ginny's shoulders and they walked around for a bit more before a bright flash nearly blinded the couple. Rita Skeeter stood in the middle of the road snapping pictures as Harry steered Ginny away.

"Harry! Harry wait! Could you do an interview? How would you feel about a photoshoot? Or maybe just a quote?" Rita asked as she snapped away.

"No comment." Harry replied through gritted teeth.

"Are you sure?" Rita asked as she scurried to keep up with them.

"Do I need to remind you of what Hermione said?" Harry asked reffering to her secret animagus form.

Rita smiled sickenly at him and glared slightly as she turned her back and walked away.

"I swear. Does she have anything else to do other then chase a teenage boy around?" Harry muttered as Ginny giggled.

"I mean a lot of people are obsessed with you Harry."

"Oh yes I seem to rember a young girl who wrote me a love poem in 2nd year. How did it start? Eyes as green as a fresh pickled toad?"

"Shut up Harry! I was eleven!" Ginny exclaimed as she slapped his arm playfully.

"Well is my hair still as dark as a blackboard?" Harry asked.

Ginny rolled her eyes and let out a little chuckle.

"Happy Valentine's Day Gin." Harry said suddenly.

"Happy Valentine's Day Harry." Ginny said.

And suddenly they were against the back of the three broomsticks, kissing each other like nothing else mattered.

* * *

"Are you sure this house is ok?" Sirius asked.

"Yes Sirius. I told you this is perfect." Meg said as she moved a box of stuff into the couple's new home.

Dumbledore had agreed that it was a good time for Sirius to move out. Their new house was in the country side with no neighbors in sight. Sirius had decided not to move into any of the Black family properties since most of them were full of dark objects and he really didn't have time to get it all cleaned up. So the couple had settled for a large house in virtually the middle of nowhere.

It had stone all over the outside with large double doors and a small front porch that Meg had already decided would hold some of her flowers. There was 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. There was also an office, a large modern kitchen and a huge formal dining room. The couple had decided to convert part of the basement into a first aid center and safe house just in case something happened. There was a greenhouse and a small barn on property.

It wasn't as big as most of the Black family mansions but Sirius and Meg had decided that they liked this house even more.

"Now where was it you wanted me to put this box?' Sirius asked as he carried in a box of Meg's makeup and hair tools.

"That can go in the master bathroom." She called as she moved a box of kitchen supplies into the kitchen.

They moved most of their boxes into the house and then settled on the couch, the only thing that wasn't still in a box or enlarged after being shrunk down for easy moving.

"This is going to take a while." Sirius complained.

"We're taking a break right now!" Meg argued.

"I know but we still don't even have the bed set up!"

"Stop complaining or I'll make you move everything the muggle way." Meg replied as she propped her feet up onto the couch and laid her head on Sirius' shoulder.

"I love you Megan Woods." Sirius said as he gently ran his fingers through her cropped hair.

"I love you too Sirius."

* * *

Lily and James sat on the couch after a long day of being with the kids.

"From 1 kid to 3 in what seemed like less then a year." Lily mumbled as she put her feet up on the couch.

"Crazy." James muttered.

"No more after this." Lily said.

"No more." James agreed.

"Think Sirius will ever have kids?" Lily asked.

"Maybe. Meg is quite different then the other girl's Padfoot dated. He really loves her."

"Yeah, you can tell that she loves him too."

"Think he'll marry her?" Lily asked after a brief pause.

James thought for a moment. "Maybe."

"I love you James." Lily said.

"Love you to Lily."

"Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day."

The looked at each other and James planted a quick kiss on Lily's lips before they walked upstairs and went to bed.

 **A/N- Hi guys! Now I was thinking about some stuff and I couldn't decide what I thought about it. I have recently read a few headcannons and stories where Draco and Harry become friends in their eighth year (Just friends, I still want Harry and Ginny together). In order for this to happen, I would have to make Draco a bit OOC but I think that it would be fun to experiment with. What do you guys think? Also do you think about Harry going back for an eighth year? Anyway, if you're enjoying this story please leave a review and I'll see you next week.**

 **-Marauderette24**


	49. Chapter 51- Ron's Birthday

_**Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley Get Intimate On Valentine's Day!**_

 _ **Harry Potter and his girlfriend Ginny Weasley get rather close after some shopping in Hogsmeade. Potter and Weasley were seen fooling around in the village while going in and out of storefronts before they decided to call it a day with the shops. They continued to walk around the town sharing some cozy moments that will be sure to make your heart melt. We're sorry girls but it looks like the Chosen One is taken.**_  
 _ **Reported by June Baker**_

* * *

 **February 15th**

Harry groaned and repeatedly hit his head on the table as he stared at the pictures of him and Ginny in Hogsmeade. The largest one on the cover showed the couple pressed up against a wall with Ginny's hands in Harry's hair and Harry holding her waist. The magical pictures showed them kissing and then breaking apart and smiling at each other before they replayed. The next page had more pictures, most likely the ones Rita had taken of them, as they walked through the village.

"Oh Merlin what happened now?" Ginny asked as she came and sat next to Harry.

Hermione grimaced as she handed the paper over to Ginny who groaned and threw the paper at her brothers head.

"I thought you had a deal with Skeeter?" Ginny said quietly.

"I said as long as she doesn't print anything malicious. I guess I should have been more specific." Hermione said apologetically.

"Well at least I have supplied Fred and George with a laugh." Ginny said.

"Dudley's going to have a field day." Harry complained, finally lifting his head up from the table.

"Oi mate, you've got some Hufflepuffs looking at you. One of them is quite cute actually-"

"Ron!"

"Sorry sorry. And oh no. It looks like the Slytherins have the paper. And Malfoy has it except... He's not making fun of it?" Ron said.

Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and sure enough. Malfoy was there, looking tired and pale as ever, but he didn't seem to pay any attention to the paper that was now sitting directly in front of him.

"I'm telling you, there's something off with him this year. He's definitely not himself." Harry said thinking back to their bathroom encounter.

"He might just be stressed about his schoolwork." Hermione suggested.

"I mean from what you said, he didn't specifically say anything about some dark conspiracy plan." Ron added.

"He's up to something." Harry decided. "I don't care if you don't believe me but I will find out what it is."

"Ok Harry." Ginny said with a small roll of her eyes. "But for now can you please focus on the Quidditch game that's in less than a week?"

"Yeah mate. We're good but still." Ron added.

"You're right. What did you guys think of the new tactics that we tried last practice?"

* * *

Later that day, Harry approached Hermione while she was reading by the fireplace in the common room. There were small first years in the corner stressing over some potions homework and a few other older kids were practicing some spells on each other.

"Hey Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Hey Harry! What's up?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you see I got this necklace for Sophie for her birthday. I was hoping that you could help me charm it to give her a little protection? Or maybe even just something that will make an emergency portkey?"

"Well, I'd have to look into the whole protective charm thing because I haven't heard of any that work by casting them on objects, but I do know the basics of emergency portkeys. The only problem is that I would have to make it undetected because you need a license to make portkeys." Hermione said as she grabbed the necklace from Harry's hands. She examined the small snitch and smiled.

"Do you think that she'll play when she gets older?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. I think that she'd be great but who knows if she's even coming to Hogwarts." Harry said sadly.

"Oh Harry I'm sorry-"

"No Hermione it's fine really. But can you just help me?" Harry asked.

"I'll look into the protection spells but for the portkey... The room of requirement might work but we'd have to be really careful." Hermione said.

"Ok. Thanks Hermione!" Harry said as he took the necklace back and dashed upstairs to his dorm room.

* * *

 **February 26th- Hogwarts**

Harry and Hermione were gathered in the room of requirement with the necklace that Harry had bought for Sophie.

"Ok Harry now I'm going to need you to watch the door and make sure no one finds us ok?" Hermione said. "If we get caught, we could get in trouble with the ministry."

"You know that no one is going to be able to find us Hermione. And even if they did, how would they get into the room."

"Well still. Just make sure that no one comes in?"

"Ok ok. Tell me when you're done ok?"

"I will. I'm going to need your help for the next one."

Hermione set the necklace on the ground gently and then stood back a bit and raised her wand.

"PORTUS EMERGENCIA ACTIVATA!" Hermione shouted as she flicked her wand at the necklace.

The necklace rose up a bit and then dropped to the floor with a blue glow that quickly faded.

"It worked. It worked Harry!" Hermione said excitedly.

"Nice job Hermione!" Harry said as he hurried over.

"Ok so now onto the protection spells. Harry I'm going to need your help for these."

"Right. What do you need me to do?"

"Place either your wand or that watch that you always wear and place it right next to the locket." Hermione said as she read out of the book.

Harry placed the watch down next to the locket and looked at Hermione for more instructions.

"Ok now I need you to repeat after me and then I'm going to flick my wand first and then once the locket starts to glow, I need you to touch your watch to it." Hermione explained.

"Vigilate Praesidio!" She yelled as she swirled her wand over the locket.

She finished the swirl with a final flick and then waited to see if the locket would glow. Just as she started to reread the spell to check if she did it wrong, the locket gave off a small yellow glow.

"Go Harry!" Hermione urged quietly.

"Vigilate Praesidio!" Harry repeated and then touched the watch to the locket.

The watch and the locket glowed very brightly and then slowly died down. Harry hesitantly moved forward to touch the locket and found that it was still smooth and cold without any evidence that they had tampered with it. Hermione grabbed the watch and found the same thing. Its face was clear and smooth and there was nothing that proved that they had cast any spells on it.

"Did it work?" Harry asked.

"I think so. We won't be able to truly tell unless something happens to Sophie which I hope it won't. The idea is that whoever is wearing the watch would be able to tell that the person wearing the necklace is in danger. There's not enough research to show exactly what the watch would do to alert you."

"So if Sophie is in danger, I'll be able to tell?" Harry asked as he fingered the necklace.

"Yes." Hermione replied.

Harry snapped on his watch and tucked the necklace into his robe pocket. Hermione got up from her position on the floor and quickly checked to make sure that they had left nothing behind. They walked back to their dormitory but since they were so absorbed in their accomplishment, they didn't notice the figure standing behind a suit of armor near the room of requirement.

* * *

 **March 1- Hogwarts**

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Ron. Happy Birthday to you!"

The 6th year Gryffindors were huddled around the fireplace with Ron sitting in the middle grinning ear to ear. Harry was at his side wearing an equally large smile and Hermione was perched on the couch arm on his other side. Ginny sat next to Harry with his arm draped around her shoulders.

"Blow out your candles!" Ginny screamed over the cheering of her friends.

"Yeah Ron make a wish!" Lavender Brown said from the crowd.

Ron smiled at them all one last time before dramatically blowing the candles out earning even greater cheers from the Gryffindors.

"What'd you wish for Ron?" Seamus called.

Ron opened his mouth but was interrupted by a very angry Parvati.

"He can't tell you, you twat! Then his wish won't come true!"

Ron closed his mouth promptly and the festivities continued.

* * *

 **March 2nd- Hogwarts**

 _Harry,_  
 _Meet me in my office after dinner._  
 _-A.D_

* * *

Harry trotted up Dumbledore's winding stairway and knocked on the large door.

"Come in." Dumbledore called from the inside.

"Hello sir." Harry greeted as he settled down into the chair across from Dumbledore.

"Good evening Harry. How has your week gone?" Dumbledore asked.

"Good sir. It was Ron's birthday and we celebrated in the common room. How was your week?" Harry asked.

"Good good. I somehow found a poisoned bottle of mead in my-"

"Poisoned?!" Harry exclaimed jumping out of his chair. "Are you ok sir? Did you find out who sent it?"

"I'm fine thank you Harry. As for who sent it, I still don't know but I would appreciate if you kept this, as the muggles would say, under wraps?"

"Of course sir. But you aren't the least bit worried about the fact that someone tried to kill you?" Harry said.

"Well, of course, it is concerning Harry but I believe that we will get to the bottom of it and I most certainly don't think that it's anything that you need to worry about."

"But sir-" Harry started, his mind already drifting to his suspicions about Draco and Snape.

"Enough Harry. I've already stated my opinion and I would prefer if we moved on to what this meeting is actually about."

"Sorry sir."

"Apology accepted. Now if we're done here, let's move to the penseive."

Harry nodded his head and together, him and Dumbledore, dove into Tom Riddle's memories from Hogwarts.

* * *

 **March 3rd- Diagon Alley**

Dudley walked into the shopping alley with a huge grin and a spring in his step. Almost a month after his last encounter with Cho, Dudley had finally convinced Lily and James to take him to get an owl. Sophie had begged and pleaded along with him and now she skipped happily by his side as they made their way to the pet store. Of course, they couldn't go alone so Lily was behind them chatting with Molly Weasley and James was in front with Remus and Sirius.

"Are you excited Dudley! We haven't been outside in forever!" Sophie exclaimed.

"Soph, we've spent plenty of time outside. We just haven't been off of the grounds in ages." Dudley said.

"Well Melody needs new treats and Dad always gets the wrong ones. How many times do I have to tell him that Melody doesn't like tuna! She only eats the salmon ones!"

Dudley laughed as they turned the corner and entered the pet store. James and Remus waited by the front while Sirius browsed around with the kids. Molly and Lily had separated from the group at the last turn and opted to stay out of the pet store due to the stench.

"So what are you kids looking for?" The shopkeeper asked.

"I need new treats for my cat. But only the salmon ones because she hates tuna." Sophie explained.

"And I'm getting an owl!" Dudley said.

"Ok well follow me for the cat treats first." The shopkeeper said.

They followed him to the back area where there was a display of all the cat treats. Sophie picked out a bag of regular salmon ones and also a box of specially baked treats that looked like stars and moons.

Then, they walked over to the owl area. There were owls both in cages or standing on perches just waiting to be picked. Dudley walked around and looked very closely at every owl. He saw snowy owls and barn owls and teeny tiny owls that were probably not the best pick for delivering letters.

"Is there a specific breed you're looking for?" The shopkeeper asked.

"Not really." Dudley distractedly.

His eyes had found their way to a beautiful barn owl with a lean body and dark markings. It had a tuft of hair on its head that stuck up at a weird angle and its chest feathers puffed out proudly.

"You looking at ole Indy huh? He's been with us for a while. Most of the people that come in here want the smaller owls for their kids."

"I like him." Dudley replied with a little smile. "How much?"

"He's 10 galleons."

"I'll take him." Dudley replied as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the necessary coins.

He paid and then he and Sophie left the pet store, with their entourage following close behind, and were transported back to Potter Manor.

 **A/N- Ok! Well that was a quickly moving chapter! I'm hoping to move a bit quicker so that hopefully I have this story completely done in a few months but we'll see. Let me know if you guys liked the pace or if you want me to speed it up even more... Anyway thank you all so much for reading and I'll see you later!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	50. Chapter 52- Draco

**March 5th- Hogwarts**

An unfamiliar owl flew into the Great Hall as the golden trio sat down at the table. Harry looked up as the owl came closer and closer before landing gracefully in front of him and waiting for Harry to grab the letter that it had left in front of him. Harry picked it up hesitantly since he didn't know who it was from. He looked at Hermione who looked at the letter quizzically but gave him a small nod as if to say that it was ok. Harry opened the letter carefully and quickly smiled when he saw who it was from.

 _Dear Harry,_  
 _What do you think of my owl? His name is Indy. I got him at the pet store yesterday with Soph. Can you believe that Aunt Lily and UNcle James let us out of the house for once? When are you coming home again? It's boring here without you and the adults won't tell me what's happening. Sometimes your parents will come home with worried looks on their faces and then they won't let Soph read the newspaper the next day. They can't really prevent me from reading it so I always look but I can barely understand what's happening anyway! Anyway, Aunt Lily is calling me for another lesson in self-defense and I have to go._  
 _Write back soon,_  
 _Dudley_

Harry set the letter down sadly and sighed.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked through a mouthful of pancakes.

"Mum and Dad are starting to ban Sophie from reading the newspapers and Dudley doesn't know what to do." Harry replied.

"I don't blame them!" Hermione exclaimed. "Have you seen what's been going on lately?"

"No, you're the one who gets the paper." Ron replied.

"Well, maybe you guys should read it every once in a while. There's been a breakout from Azkaban, a few muggle killings and of course, there are several instances where a reporter tries to discredit Dumbledore." Hermione replied.

"But, why didn't Mum and Dad tell me?" Harry asked. "Wouldn't the Order be a part of this?"

"Harry, you might be part of the Order but your mum and dad are trying to protect you. You know that they'll always try to shield you, Order member or not."

"Yeah but I should still be notified." Harry grumbled.

"Well, Harry I really feel bad for you. You must not have any resources that might allow you to get notified of any current events." Hermione said sarcastically. "Now come on and finish your sausage. We've got classes to attend."

* * *

 **March 10th- Hogwarts**

"Now dear, try to get into the circle." The ministry witch kindly told Seamus as he tried to apparate into the circle but failed and landed next to Dean.

Harry was waiting in line to take his final apparation test. He had been taking the course and thankfully hadn't lost any limbs in the process.

"Ok. Harry Potter next please." The witch said, not giving any indication that he was any different than one of the other students.

Harry stepped up to the circle and waited until the witch gave him the signal that told him to go. She nodded at him once and he spun and focused on landing at another circle that was placed at the end of the room. He landed in it perfectly and he smiled to himself and inwardly fist pumped.

"Ok, you can go. Next!" The witch called.

Harry left the testing area and wandered through the halls on his way back to the common room. Hermione was in the library and Ron was supposed to play a game of chess with Harry when he got back but since Harry knew he was going to lose, he was trying to put off his humiliation for as long as possible. So instead of going straight to the Gryffindor common room, Harry decided to take a walk outside for some fresh air.

The brisk breeze hit him as soon as he stepped out of the castle. The ground was shimmering from the left over snow and the trees were still bare from the winter. Harry shivered slightly as a particularly strong gust of air blew by and he pulled his robe closer to his body in an attempt to keep the cold out. He was just about to give up his quest for an excuse to not play chess with Ron when he saw a figure standing all alone near the lake. Harry could tell who it was as soon as he saw the platinum blonde hair and Slytherin robes.

"Oi Malfoy!" Harry yelled as he hurried over.

"Potter." Malfoy greeted emotionlessly.

"In the bathroom-" Harry started.

"No." Draco said gripping his wand tightly and raising it ever so slightly. "We are not going to talk about that."

Harry backed away slightly and Malfoy relaxed. They both turned back to the lake and stared at it. They could see a faded outline of the giant squid and shadows of the creatures that lived below the water.

"You know grindylows and mermaids live down there. The mermaids aren't very friendly though. They tried to stab me with their tridents." Harry said casually.

"Yeah, they always try to break the glass in the common room." Malfoy said.

They stood in silence some more.

"Why are you here Potter?" Malfoy asked suddenly.

"I don't want to play chess with Ron. Why are you out here Malfoy?"

"I don't want to be in the common room right now."

"Why? I thought all Slytherins worship you."

"I don't want to hear their opinions right now and quite frankly I don't want to hear yours." Malfoy drawled.

"Are you ok Draco?" Harry asked, finally looking up from the lake.

"I think you know the answer to that Potter." Draco said meeting Harry's eyes.

They stood in silence each waiting for the other to say something. Draco's stormy grey ice bore into Harry's emerald green eyes. Neither was willing to back down. Suddenly, Draco smirked and he raised his eyebrow.

"Nice talking to you Potter." He said.

And then he turned and walked away. His black robes billowed behind him as he walked off back towards the castle. Harry wanted to chase after him. To try and help him but somehow Harry just stood by the lake, watching as his rival walked away.

Once Draco was out of sight, Harry walked in the opposite direction and straight back to the Gryffindor common room. His thoughts about the conversation that he had just had clouded his thoughts as he muttered the password to the fat lady and walked into the room.

"Hey Harry! That took forever! You ready for a game?" Ron asked as soon as he spotted his best friend.

"Yeah Ron. I said I would play didn't I?" Harry said, putting up a fake smile.

"Hey, you ok mate?" Ron asked.

"Yeah! Sorry I'm just worried about how I did on the test."

"Ok if you're sure." Ron said.

"Of course I'm sure! Now, what side are you playing on?"

* * *

 **March 15th- Potter Manor**

Dudley woke up to his owl poking him in the face with a letter. He sat up and took the piece of parchment from Indy and then settled back into bed to read it.

 _Dear Dudley,_  
 _I'll be home for the weekend of Sophie's birthday but I've got to be back at school the next day. But don't worry! I'll be home all summer! I can't write a lot in a letter just in case it gets intercepted but I just want you to stay safe. I know that mum and dad seem like crazy people keeping you inside and I would honestly hate it so I'm not going to tell you to listen to everything they say, especially if they try to tell you not to read the paper, but just stay safe. Hermione wants me to tell you that if you have been reading the paper, Azkaban is the wizarding prison and death eaters are Voldemort's followers. She says that that might help you understand a bit better._  
 _-Harry Potter_

Dudley sighed and ran his hand over his face. He quickly stuffed the letter in a drawer where Lily and James wouldn't look and then got up and got dressed.

When he got downstairs, he was greeted by Sophie playing on the floor with Melody and Lily was cooking breakfast. James was sitting at the table with his glasses askew and his quill rapidly scratching across the parchment.

"Morning Dudley!" Sophie chirped.

"Morning Dud! Why don't you sit down? I'm almost done with breakfast." Lily called from the kitchen.

Dudley sat down at the table across from James and Sophie sat right next to him.

"Sleep well Soph?" Dudley asked.

"Yeah!" Sophie said with a small smile. "What about you?"

"Good." He replied as he chugged a glass of orange juice.

"Alright kiddos. Today we're going to start off with Math then move into self-defense and then finish with a fun pool day ok?" Lily said as she set down a plate of pancakes.

"Sounds good." Dudley said.

* * *

"Good Dudley! Why don't you go get your suit on and Sophie and I'll meet you in the pool?" Lily said.

Sophie stood in the corner in fighting stance with her fists up. She threw precise punches at the dummy as it shouted at her to punch harder. Finally, Sophie decided to kick it in the face and it shut off. She stood for a moment panting and then she went to grab her water bottle from the side of the room.

"Hey Soph, how about we take a break. Let's go spend some time in the pool yeah?" Lily said after seeing her daughter struggle.

"Ok." Sophie said with a sigh.

"You're doing great Soph. The dummy is just harsh. Don't listen to him." Lily said.

"I could get stronger! I just need to practice more!" Sophie insisted.

"You're doing great and you're practicing a perfectly normal amount."

"I've heard you get up early in the morning to train."

"That's different Sophie. I need to be ready at any given second. We just want you to stay fit and be able to protect yourself if something comes up. And what were you doing up that early anyway?"

"I thought I heard something so I just woke up for a second." Sophie lied as she grabbed her bathing suit from her closet. In truth, she had had a nightmare and had stayed up for the night.

"Ok well, you went back to sleep right?" Lily asked.

"Of course. I just checked to make sure that there wasn't anything in my room. It was actually just Melody making some noise."

"That noisy little kitten! She doesn't keep you up does she?"

"No, usually she sleeps right next to me. She must have gotten bored and went exploring."

"Ok if you're sure. I'm going to change into my swimsuit ok?" Lily said as she stepped towards Sophie's door.

"Yup! Sounds good. I'll meet you in your room." Sophie said.

She breathed a sigh of relief once Lily was gone and quickly praised herself for coming up with a convincing lie. She slipped into her swimsuit, a blue one-piece, and walked out of her room and down the hall towards Lily's. James opened the door already in his swimsuit and let Sophie in.

"Hey Soph. How'd self-defense go?" He asked.

"Ok. I knocked the dummy out with a roundhouse kick." Sophie replied.

"That's my girl!" James said as he offered her a high-five.

Sophie smiled and laughed as James picked her up and threw her on his shoulders.

"Dad! Let me down!" She squealed.

"Never!" James replied while tickling her.

"Don't drop me!" Sophie giggled.

"What you mean like this?" James said as he picked her up and threw her into the air.

Sophie screamed as she felt James' hands leave her side. Her arms outstretched and her head flew back as she soared up. And then she felt herself falling. Just as she was about to panic, She felt James' strong grip on her waist and she jolted upright.

"That was fun!" Sophie giggled.

"I know. Now come on. I believe we were going to the pool?" James said.

Lily had joined them in a black one-piece and was smiling at their antics. The family walked downstairs to where Dudley was already swimming in the pool. Sophie smiled when she saw him and she ran towards him.

"Dudley catch me!" She screamed as she flung herself off the poolside. She smiled as Dudley stretched is arms out to reach her but then tripped on the ledge and she fell forward. Her smile faded as she realized that she was flipping into the water.

"Dudley!" She screamed as she fell head first into the water.

He caught her just as she felt the water splash onto her. She looked up and smiled when she saw his worried face.

"You ok Soph?" He asked.

"Yup! Let's do it again!" She giggled.

"How about we swim around here a little bit first? And then I'll catch you."

"Ok Dudley. Sounds good."

 **A/N- So I recently developed a routine to write and it's really been helping me get chapters done quicker so I'm pretty excited about that. I also have a really fun event this weekend and I used an 8-ball to predict how it would go and it said that I would do great! So I'm just having a really good day. Also, how do you guys like this new side to Draco? I think that it'll be fun to play with but what do you guys think? Anyway, until next time.**

 **-Marauderette24**


	51. Chapter 53- Sophie's Birthday!

**April 5th- Hogwarts**

Harry was in Professor Dumbledore's office waiting to floo back home. The sun had just risen and most of the castle wasn't awake yet since it was a weekend. It was Sophie's birthday and Harry was heading home to surprise her. He stepped into the fireplace with his overnight bag shrunken and tucked in his shirt pocket and Sophie's present in his hands. The world swirled for a minute and then Harry was shot forward and onto the waiting carpet of his home.

"Harr-" Dudley started before Harry slapped a hand over his mouth with a mischievous smirk.

"I'm supposed to be surprising Soph," Harry whispered.

Dudley smiled and nodded as Harry released his hand.

"She's in her room getting ready with Aunt Lily." Dudley said.

Harry and Dudley crept out of the floo room and up the stairs. They ran into James but he only smiled at them and followed them silently into Sophie's room. Harry stopped outside of the room and pressed his ear to the door.

"You look gorgeous Sophie." Lily's voice said.

"Thanks, Mum." Sophie's voice said.

"Now, how would you like your hair?"

Harry smiled and pushed the door gently to reveal Sophie sitting at her vanity in a purple dress that fell to just above her knee while she was sitting. The sleeves were lace and the dress was overall simple but still eye-catching. Her hair was still cascading down her back but it also had a new addition of long bangs.  
Harry took one last glance at James and Dudley before creeping in and crouching to avoid being seen by Sophie who was still looking directly in her mirror. Lily saw Harry and smiled at him before directing Sophie to keep her head forward so that she could pin her bangs back. Harry smiled at his mum and crawled forward some more before quickly covering Sophie's eyes.

"Guess who?" Harry whispered in her ear.

"Harry!" Sophie shrieked as she swiveled around in her chair to wrap her arms around his neck. "I thought you couldn't get out of school for today!"

"Now how could I miss my little sisters birthday?" Harry asked with a smile.

"I guess you couldn't." Sophie said thoughtfully.

"Now come on! You look great already so how about we go eat some food? I'm starving." Harry said, grabbing Sophie's hand and helping her off her stool.

"Sounds good to me." James said coming out from his position behind the door.

"You all knew that Harry would be here?" Sophie asked as Dudley came out from behind the wall as well.

"He wanted to surprise you." Lily said as an explanation.

"Now come on! It's time to start the celebrations!"

* * *

Harry was flying around the quidditch pitch with his sister sitting on his shoulders.

"Ready Soph?" Harry asked over the roar of the wind.

"Yup." said Sophie.

She reached up just as Dudley flew overhead and grabbed onto his ankles. Dudley flew around the pitch once while Sophie squealed with laughter before he started to slow down near the front of the field. Sophie released her hold on Dudley and went falling towards the floor but was suddenly swept up by James. He landed his broom on the ground with Sophie stumbling off and plopping onto the floor.

"That was fun! Let's do it again!" Sophie exclaimed.

"How about another day?" James suggested as the boys landed near them. "I think you're giving your mom a heart attack."

Sure enough, Lily was sitting on the back porch with Remus clutching a glass of white wine so fiercely that her knuckles were turning white.

"Hey Soph, you wanna go open your presents?" Harry asked once he and Dudley had gotten off of their brooms.

"Yes!" Sophie said turning to face James. "Is that ok Dad?"

"Of course Sophie. It's your birthday." James replied.

"Mom come on! Harry said we can open presents now!"

"Ok ok, Sophie. Did you even say hi to Remus?" Lily asked as Sophie passed by.

Sophie skidded to a stop and quickly turned around to greet Remus before sprinting off again to open presents. She seated herself in front of the fireplace and waited for the others to get inside before reaching for the first present she saw. Lily and James had gotten her some new clothes, cat toys, and a brand new training broom. Sophie opened it in shock and immediately went to hug them profusely. Dudley got Sophie a huge muggle teddy bear and Remus got her a stack of various books.

Harry grabbed his shrunken presents and enlarged them right in front of Sophie making her grin at him. He handed her the larger gift first which contained the gloves and the snitch. Sophie was already moving to thank him when Harry handed her the last gift. She slowly unwrapped the small box that Harry had wrapped a single gold ribbon around. She opened the box and saw the shining golden snitch with its wings laying limply at it['s sides.

"It's so pretty Harry!" Sophie said.

"I hoped you'd like it." Harry said.

"I love it!" Sophie said as she clasped it around her neck.

"And Sirius and Meg said to tell you that they're sorry that they couldn't make it but they'll stop by tomorrow." Remus said.

"Ok." Sophie said but she was already trying to get her new snitch out of the packaging.

"Alright Soph, you can play with the snitch for a little bit but you've got to get to bed soon."

"Yes, mum." Sophie said.

An hour later and Remus had gone home to leave the family to get to bed. Sophie got into her pajamas and was asleep first. Lily and James were out next and Harry and Dudley stayed up for another hour catching up on various things before they too retired to their rooms. Harry found that he couldn't sleep while thinking about all of the new information that had been revealed from the memories that Dumbledore had shown him. The one that had stuck with him the most was the conversation that Dumbledore had shown him between Tom Riddle and an old friend of Dumbledore's named Horace Slughorn. Now, Dumbledore was sure that Voldemort had survived on Halloween because of dark magic that had split his soul in half.

Meanwhile, in her room, Sophie had just shot up from the bed from another nightmare. This time all of the triplets had been there and they were each killed individually right in front of her. She carefully got up, careful to avoid the squeaky floorboards, and snuck down to the kitchen. This had become a regular habit for her when she couldn't fall asleep. The house elves were asleep by then and she could get herself a glass of water without anyone hearing. She sat herself down at the table where there was a single candle lighting up the large dining table made for over 12 people to sit at. Just as she started to take a sip of her water, she heard soft footsteps upstairs.

She set her glass down silently and positioned herself so that she was able to get up from the chair should it be someone who shouldn't be in the house. Luckily, Harry emerged from the shadows and aside from looking completely surprised, he was harmless.

"What are you doing down here?" He asked.

"I come down here sometimes to get a glass of water." Sophie replied.

"You've been crying." Harry realized as he stepped closer.

"No I haven't."

"Yes, your eyes are puffy and you have tear tracks on your face. "

Sophie reached up and wiped at her eyes but Harry was already sitting down next to her and looking at her expectantly. She turned away and he sighed.

"Sophie," Harry said. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Sophie mumbled.

They sat in silence for a while with the only sound being Sophie taking a drink. Harry opened his mouth to say something a couple of times but then he closed it at the last minute.

"Hey while we're alone, I want you to know that I charmed the necklace with some protection spells. So if you're ever in trouble it'll keep you safe." Harry said finally.

"Thank you Harry. Do I get to know why you didn't say anything in front of mum and dad?" Sophie asked.

"Well, one of them might be slightly illegal so let's have that be our secret ok?"

"Ok." Sophie agreed.

Then silence came once more. Suddenly, just when Harry was thinking of going back upstairs, Sophie spoke.

"I have nightmares." She said.

"I have nightmares too." Harry said.

Sophie looked up at him with her eyes still red and puffy.

"I see my friend Cedric, my parents and Sirius killed in front of me. I see visions with Voldemort in them but lately, I've been thinking about the future."

"I love it here Harry. But I miss my family and I miss Charlotte and Conner and Alex and I just want to go home but I can't." Sophie whispered.

Harry wordlessly wrapped an arm around Sophie and she leaned into him.

"Tell me about the triplets." Harry said suddenly.

"What?" Sophie asked.

"Tell me about them. What did you guys do together?"

"Charlotte wanted to be a singer." Sophie admitted. "She planned to move to Hollywood and she wanted to be in a big concert. Conner was the sweetest person. He didn't want to be in the spotlight like his sister did but he would go along with her pretend performances just to please her. And Alexander would always have his nose buried in a book but he would still watch Char when she performed."

"And what about you Sophie? Were you the audience?" Harry asked.

"No," Sophie said with a smile. "I sang duets with Charlotte. We had our first real performance a few days before the attack. The town was having it's regular Sunday market and this week they had set up a stage and announced that they would be having an open mic performance. So, Char, had us rehearsing all week and then when we got up on that stage we had so much fun. It was terrifying but Char was just smiling and singing and dancing so that made it better. And the crowd cheered for us and we ended up performing another song and I haven't ever seen Charlotte so happy." Sophie said with her eyes getting watery.

"You're a singer?" Harry asked.

"I was. I didn't sing when he was holding me prisoner."

"Well, you can sing now." Harry said.

"No thanks Harry."

"Ok well come on. It's time to go to bed."

Harry got up and grabbed Sophie's hand to guide her upstairs. They reached the fork in the hallway where Harry separated from Sophie and Harry smiled and released her small hand. He turned to got to his room when Sophie stopped him.

"Harry?" She asked. "Could I sleep with you tonight?"

"Sure Soph. Come on."

They climbed into Harry's large bed and Sophie snuggled up next to him. Harry smiled down at her and once he was sure that she was sleeping, he rested his eyes and for the first time in a long while, neither of them had any nightmares.

 **A/N- Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did please don't forget to leave a review because they make my day! Also, Do you guys want a nice romance chapter next or an action packed chapter? Let me know in your review and whichever one gets the most votes will be the one that is uploaded next week.**

 **Thank for reading!**

 **-Marauderette24**


	52. Chapter 54- Back at Hogwarts

**April 6th- Hogwarts**

Harry returned from his sisters birthday celebration feeling content. He already missed messing around in the pool with Dudley and Sophie but at the same time, he was grateful to be back at Hogwarts with Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. Lately, Ron and Hermione had been at each other's throats more than usual and Harry found himself having significantly more alone time with his girlfriend. They had explored some of the castles less known areas and if someone would have wandered to these areas they would see the couple snogging shamelessly. They were getting to know each other even better than before and Ginny had shown Harry a bit of her wild side when they stayed out past curfew and ran from various broom closets and classroom while dodging Filch. So while Harry enjoyed his time with family, he was also looking forward to seeing his girlfriend again even if he had only been away for a weekend.

He walked into the Gryffindor common room and was welcomed with a passionate kiss from Ginny.

"Hello to you too Gin." Harry said with a laugh once she broke away from him.

"Hey Harry. How's Sophie and Dudley?" Ginny asked.

"They're both doing good. Sophie loved her presents." He replied.

"Well you know Ron just got dragged to the library with Hermione and they probably won't be back for a while so I don't suppose you fancy a walk by the lake?" Ginny asked.

"Sounds good to me." Harry said.

He jokingly extended his arm for Ginny to escort her outside and she happily obliged by linking her arm in his. They talked while they were walking in the halls and then once they got outside, the couple took a seat under a tree.

"Thank Merlin the weathers getting nicer." Ginny said. "I am so sick of all the snow."

"Me too but once summer comes around these uniforms are going to be bloody hot." Harry said.

"Oh shut up you don't even wear your robes during the summer."

"Yeah well who wears sweaters when it's 90 degrees outside?"

"Wizards and witches unless they want to get dress coded by McGonagall."

"But still-"

"Harry, if it bothers you that much, you know I have no problem with taking your uniform off." Ginny said with a smirk.

"Ginny!" Harry said.

"Oh whatever Harry I can guarantee you that half the students outside right now have done dirtier things than taken someone's clothes off."

Harry looked at Ginny skeptically.

"Oh come on Harry you must hear the things that go around the school."

"Errr."

"You really need to start focusing less on Malfoy and more on what's going on around you. For example. Blaise Zabini is said to have shagged a girl everywhere in the castle. And that Hufflepuff? Not nearly as innocent as he seems. Parvati told me that Lavender told her that Cho told her that Macey overheard-"

"Gin I really don't need to know about some random Hufflepuffs sex life." Harry interrupted. Ginny smiled wickedly at him.

"Well how about a random Ravenclaw?"

"Ginny!"

Her laughter echoed around them and soon Harry was laughing right along with her. The couple leaned up against the tree and Harry intertwined his fingers with Ginny's. For a while, they just sat there smiling at each other and enjoying the sounds of the students talking in the distance but their silence was disturbed when loud footsteps approached them.

"Harry! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you. Hermione dragged me to the bloody library and that troll of a librarian kept shushing me and I almost told her to stick her book up her-" Ron said.

"That's enough Ronald. She is not a troll she just cares about her books and when you have someone like yourself who keeps coming very close to ripping out the pages, I don't blame her for yelling at you." Hermione interrupted.

Ginny was laughing at her brother while Harry just smiled at the pair.

"Hermione, you are the only person who doesn't think that she isn't at least part troll and Ron it is not nice to tell an old woman to stuff a book up her ass." Ginny said.

Hermione opened her mouth to defend herself but Harry beat her to it.

"Ok, ok, let's just drop it. Come on Weasleys, we've got quidditch practice. Are you going to watch today Hermione?" Harry asked.

"I suppose so. I finished all my homework for the week." She replied.

"Alrighty then." Harry said.

The group of friends got up and walked together to the quidditch pitch while chatting about how their weekends were. When they got to the pitch, Harry was surprised to see that most of the team was already there. He said goodbye to Ginny and rushed to the changing rooms with Ron and then ran back out only moments later in his quidditch uniform.

"Ok team! We have a match against Slytherin in less than a week so let's get going. Katie, Jack, and Gin I need you guys to work on your speed. Alicia and Jasmine try to hit just a smidge harder and Ron I want you to guard those goals with your life."

* * *

A couple hours later and the Gryffindor team was sweaty and tired but they were all feeling more confident about the upcoming match. The Slytherin team had slightly weaker now that Malfoy had resigned so Harry was sure that his team would be able to take down the snakes. Harry returned to the common room with Ginny on his arm and Ron and Hermione walking in front of him. Harry and Ron were going to go up to their dorms so they said goodbye to Hermione and Ginny. While they were hugging, Hary slipped a small note into Ginny's pocket and then smiled at her and left.

When Harry arrived at his dorm room he was greeted by Dean and Seamus arm wrestling and Neville was attempting to avoid one of his new plant's sharp teeth.

"Hey Harry." Neville greeted before yelping and examining his newly bit finger.

"Hey Nev. You ok over there?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Professor Sprout gave me his plant to take care of for a bit. It's just a bit on the... vicious side."

"Well good luck with that. What are you guys doing?" Harry asked Dean and Seamus.

"Dean here just said that he's stronger than me. So I just had to prove him wrong." Seamus said.

"Whatever you're just sour that I won the race outside."

"Am not!"

Harry just shook his head and laughed before settling himself in his bed. Ron was already in the shower and Harry still had to finish a transfiguration assignment. Harry smiled to himself when he saw the piece of parchment that he had ripped to give the note to Ginny. He had asked her to meet him in the common room later that night so they could sneak off to the kitchens. So when Ron popped out of the shower, Harry was the first to jump up and get into the bathroom so that he could leave soon. Once he was freshly cleaned, Harry bid his roommates goodnight and charmed his curtains closed. He waited while the rest of the boys settled into bed and eventually fell asleep before he threw the invisibility cloak over himself and snuck out to meet Ginny.

When he reached the common room, she was standing in front of the fireplace in her regular school robe. He smiled and slowly removed the cloak making him appear, seemingly, out of thin air. Ginny smiled widely at him and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Way to make an entrance Mr. Potter." She said.

"Well I have been known to make dramatic entrances but I've also been told that what comes after is even better." Harry said.

"Well what do you have planned for tonight Potter?"

"How about a little trip to the kitchens? I'm sure Dobby would love if we paid him a visit."

"Sounds great to me."

The couple left the common room under the cloak and whispered to each other as they crept through the halls. Ginny would giggle occasionally when they passed a teacher and they didn't even notice. Harry would just smile down at her and continue on. Once they got to the kitchens, Harry held open the pear and Ginny hoisted herself inside. It was already late so the kitchens were empty when they got there. Harry told Ginny to sit at the small table that was in the center of the room while he called out for Dobby.

"Dobby? Dobby are you awake?" Harry whispered.

As soon as he uttered his name, Dobby had appeared at Harry's feet and was hugging his legs like his life depended on it.

"Harry Potter sir! Dobby is so so so happy to serve yous sir! Did Mr. Harry Potter sir bring a guest?" Dobby asked when he noticed Ginny.

"Yes Dobby. You remember Ginny Weasley right?"

"Oh yes sir! Is yous and hers _on a date_?"

"Dobby just call me Harry please and yes I suppose you could call it a date." Harry said shyly.

"Oh Dobby will make a special meal just for Harry and Ms. Weasley sir. Do yous like chicken or steak better?"

"Thank you Dobby but we've already eaten." Harry started but he hastened to correct himself when he saw Dobby practically deflate. "But would it be possible for you to make us some dessert?"

"Oh yes sir! Dobby will make you the best dessert yous ever tasted!"

"Ok thank you Dobby you're the best."

"Anythings for yous sir!"

Dobby started rummaging around the kitchen so Harry returned to where Ginny was sitting.

"He looked excited to see you."

"Yeah..." Harry said while his face flushed.

"Harry Potter the Boy-who-lived gets embarrassed when house elf worships him. I can see the headlines now."

"Shut up Gin." Harry laughed as he playfully shoved her.

"So what's Dobby making for us? I hope not anything too much."

"He wanted to make us steaks but I convinced him to just do dessert."

"I always kind of wanted a house elf. Not because my mom needed help with anything but I just thought it would be nice to have an elf friend." Ginny said.

"Really? Where do you even get house elves?"

"Mum says that there is an agency somewhere in Diagon Alley. They can be kind of expensive though depending on what their skill set is and stuff."

"Hmm, I'll have to look into that." Harry said thoughtfully. "Not for me of course but I was thinking that Dudley might have fun with a house elf of his own."

"Harry, you truly are amazing you know that?"

"Erm thanks Ginny?" Harry said.

Ginny reached across the table and pressed her lips to his. Their kiss started out gentle since there was a whole table between them but Harry found himself moving around the table to get closer to Ginny. Her hands were tangled in his hair and Harry suddenly had a hand on her bum. Before she knew it she had pulled away slightly and he was lifting her to sit on one of the counters. She smiled deviously at him and started kissing his neck gently and then biting down with more pressure.

"I love you so much Ginny." Harry said.

"I love you too Harry."

"You know Ron is going to notice those?" Harry said referring to the hickey on his neck.

"Well, why don't you pay me back then?" Ginny whispered.

Harry laughed and pulled her in for another kiss. Harry probably would have taken her up on that offer f Dobby didn't pop up next to him.

"Dessert is ready Harry Potter sir and Ms. Weazy."

"Thank you Dobby." Harry said slightly disappointed that his and Ginny's romance had been interrupted.

Dobby didn't seem to sense that he had interrupted something so he just smiled and popped out. Ginny just smiled and walked back to her seat with her hips swinging. The couple quickly devoured the dessert that Dobby had created and then headed back to the Gryffindor common room after many stops in various broom closets.

 **A/N- Ok guys! So I think I've only got a few more chapters to write and then this story will be over! :( I will be revising everything and the sequel to this should be ready by spring or summer of 2018. I hope you guys don't mind the wait but I have to focus on WBCHB and revising and hopefully writing out most of the sequel before I start publishing it. I also have this other project that I've been working on so we'll see where that goes! Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing, it means the world.**

 **-Marauderette24**


	53. Chapter 55- The Letter

**May 30th- Hogwarts**

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked down the halls of Hogwarts with Hermione in a near panic.

"You're sure that's what he told you Harry? Dumbledore showed you memories of him specifically saying that?"

"Well, kind of. The memory was of him asking a man about horcruxes and now Dumbledore thinks he made multiple and hid them in important places. Like, Slytherins ring was in his family's old house and his diary was really important to him so he put pieces of his soul in them."

"And Dumbledore wants you to go destroy them with him?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, he said if he found one he would bring me along," Harry said.

"But Harry that could be super dangerous. What if something happens and there are charms on the horcrux that hurt you?" Hermione asks.

"I have to go with Dumbledore, Hermione. This could be a big step in taking him down for good!"

"I know." Hermione sighed. "Just be careful ok?"

"I will Hermione. I'll be with Dumbledore. We'll be fine."

* * *

Later that day, Harry was walking alone near the black lake. He could see the Ravenclaw quidditch practice in the quidditch pitch and the shadow of the giant squid in the lake. Then, Harry saw a familiar blonde head that left him feeling a sense of Deja Vu.

"Oi Malfoy." Harry said stepping closer.

"Potter." Malfoy drawled. "Is there a reason you keep meeting me here?"

"No, I just happened to be walking this way."

"I know you've been watching me."

"No, I haven't."

"Oh really? I think you have."

"Who cares if I've been watching you? I have a good reason."

"Do you? I haven't done anything wrong."

"You look sick." Harry said honestly.

"Hmmmm. Definitely not sick." Malfoy said with a smirk. His eyes were hollow and his skin pale as he faced Harry.

"I know you're up to something."

"And no one believes you."

"Doesn't matter because I know that you and Snape are planning something bad."

"Maybe but, maybe we're just trying to live your lives just like you."

And with that Malfoy turned and left. Harry watched him start to disappear but just like last time, he stayed where he was until Malfoy was gone.

* * *

Malfoy walked briskly in the dungeons of Hogwarts. He sneered at a couple of Ravenclaws who were laughing and clinging together before turning down a secluded passage that leads to the Slytherin common room. The painting opened without Malfoy even saying anything and he waltzed in. The common room seemed to freeze when he entered and he smirked at his housemates.

"It's time. Next week you guys are either going to help me or stay in the common room. Do not leave the common room if you're not fighting with me. I cannot guarantee your life." He said loudly.

Blaise and Theo came up to him right away.

"Draco, what's happening?" Blaise asked.

"I think I just said what's happening Blaise."

"They're coming?" Theo asked.

"Yes and now it's time for the pair of you to grow a pair and join us."

"But Drake-"

"No Theo! Don't you see we don't have a choice?"

"But-"

"No Theo. Just stop. You're either going to help me complete the mission or you're going to sit here and leave the Dark Lord to decide what to do with you."

"We'll be there Draco." Blaise said.

"Good."

"And then I'm leaving. I'll need the pair of you here to make sure the snakes stay together."

"You're not coming back?"

"No. Aunt Bella is convinced that things will be changing so much that she doesn't want me here." Draco replied stiffly.

Blaise and Theo nodded curtly like they understood not to ask any more questions.

"We're snakes we'll protect each other." Theo said.

 _"Good because I have a feeling that things are going to change soon. And it won't be good."_

* * *

 _Dear Cho,_

 _Hey! Look I finally got an owl so now it'll be easier to talk to you. I hope you're having fun at Hogwarts and I hope everything is well. Right now, Aunt Lily and Uncle James homeschool me and Soph and it's getting boring. I just want all of this to be over you know? Poor Sophie isn't allowed to go anywhere because we don't want the press to get wind of the fact that she's alive and I haven't seen anyone my age in forever! I mean I didn't like going to school but now I would pay to get out of this house! Although, I have finally learned how to swim so I guess that's good._

 _Signed,_  
 _Dudley Dudley_

* * *

 _Dear Dud,_  
 _Hey! Hogwarts would be a lot better if you were here. I think everyone here is just getting very anxious about what's going on outside. I don't know if you've been keeping up with the news lately but things are just starting to get darker and darker. I sent you some fun little knick-knacks for Sophie just so she hopefully doesn't feel too closed off. And I know it sucks to be away from your old friends but it's keeping you safe and that's the important thing. I hope we can see each other in person again soon but who knows._

 _Love,_  
 _Cho Chang_

* * *

 **June 15th-**

The wind howled in a large dark bedroom. There was a desk, a huge bed, and a black wardrobe. The only source of light was an eerie chandelier in the middle of the room. At the first glance, this room looked empty. But if someone came in, they would see a little girl scrunched in the corner near her bed. She was wearing a short black lace dress and her hair was curled so tightly that it sprang up making her shadow look like her head was a triangle. Her hands were pressed against her ears and her legs had so many bruises and cuts that someone might think that she had just been in a fight.

The door started to creak open and a cascade of hot tears feel down the girl's face. 3 death eaters entered the room and stopped a few feet away from her.

"The Dark Lord wishes to see you, Sophronia." One of them said.

"Leave me alone." Sophie said hoarsely.

"We have orders to use force if needed miss."

"I said to leave me alone."

One of them stepped forward and slapped Sophie.

"Get up now."

Sophie had hot tears running down her face as she shakily stood up. The death eaters quickly surrounded her and grabbed her arms to make sure that she was following.

They took her down a long hallway but it all seemed like a blur. Doors flew by and death eaters smirked as she passed. Then she finally arrived in the large dining room of Lord Voldemort's hideout.

"Sophronia. I see you were finally able to join me."

Sophie stood with her head down to hide her wet face.

"You will greet me when I address you, is that understood?"

"Yes." Sophie whispered.

"Yes, my lord."

"Yes, my lord." Sophie repeated.

"Now, I hear your sister had some pretty extraordinary powers hmm."

"Yes, my lord."

"And what about you Sophronia?"

"I'm a muggle my lord."

"I see. Now I think that you've really got some potential. So do you mind if we try to test out your powers a bit?"

"No my lord."

"Good girl."

Voldemort got out of his seat and came towards Sophie. He took his wand out and slowly brushed it against her bare legs.

"Now, I'm just going to do something very simple. I'm to cast a spell and you're going to protect yourself ok?"

"Yes my lord."

"Good. Crucio!"

"No!" Sophie screamed.

And then she was in her bed again. Her pastel pink pajamas were soaked in sweat and her bedsheets were wrapped around her tightly from all of her tossing and turning. She got up with a shuddering breath and walked over to the bathroom. She poured herself a glass of water and then splashed a little of it onto her face before she changed out of her pajamas and put a new set on.

The wind howled in the distance and Sophie had to close her eyes and remind herself that she wasn't a prisoner anymore. She wasn't a weapon or a pawn. She was just Sophie.

* * *

 **June 18th- Grimmuald PLace**

Remus sat at the dining room table with a cup of tea and biscuits. His right arm was in a sling and he had a new scratch on his face that was still slightly open from the full moon the night before. He took a sip of tea and his lips pursed slightly from the bitterness.

At that moment, Tonks walked into the room. She didn't seem to notice Remus so he kept quiet and enjoyed watching her waltz around the kitchen grabbing the ingredients to her tea. She walked into the kitchen and started to pour herself a cup of tea but before the cup was even halfway full, she accidentally stubbed her toe on the cabinets and spilled it all over herself.

"Shitty merlins pants!" She screamed.

Remus broke his silence and jumped up to help her but she was already pulling off her shirt to get the hot substance off her skin. Remus stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened as Tonks turned around and saw him. She blushed. Hard.

"Oh um hey Remus." She said while keeping her head down.

"Hey Tonks." He said.

"I uh didn't see you there." She twidled the wet shirt in her hands.

"Yeah, I um noticed."

"I should go uh change."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Remus lifted his head slightly to meet her eyes. Her hair was orange and her cheeks were still beet red. And while Remus was embarrassed that he hadn't made his presence clear to Tonks, he couldn't help but glance at her beautiful body. Her bra was black lace and her black jeans matched it. Remus loved that even though Tonks could alter her appearance to make herself look like whoever she wanted, she stayed true to herself.

Tonks smiled shyly at him and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Uh and sorry about this Remus." She said.

"It's nothing to worry about Tonks." He said.

"Ok well, I'll be going now."

"Ok um, see you around."

* * *

 **June 20th- Black Cottage**

"It's done. I am officially off any and all records that the ministry has." Meg said.

She was sitting on the couch with Sirius' arm wrapped around her. She had just gotten a letter from Kingsley saying that everything was set.

"Well that's good news, right? That means that Leo can't find you anymore." Sirius said.

"I know and I should be happy but I miss my job and I miss seeing Skeeter's face when I get my article on the front page."

"That would be a sight to see but just think that once this is all over, you can go back and see Skeeter's sour face again."

"I know. But I've also been thinking that I might not want to go back to the prophet. They just seem way too influenced by the ministry and I don't know if I want that."

"Well you decide what you want to do but for now I believe we've got an Order meeting to attend."

* * *

 **June 29th- Hogwarts**

"Honestly kids these days!" Hermione exclaimed as she examined a small vial of felix felicis. "A third year had this in the common room. A third year! And they thought they could slip it into the gobstones tournament."

"Isn't that illegal?" Harry asked.

"Yes and that's why I confiscated it."

"Oh well, maybe I could take it to Dumbledore for you? I'm headed there now."

"Ok thanks, Harry you're the best because I really have to run to potions."

Harry smiled and waved as Hermione took off towards the dungeons and then once she was out of view, he pocketed the potion and went on his way to charms.

While he was walking there, he heard hushed voices coming from a nearby hallway. He pressed himself against the wall and listened.

"Yes. Yes, I know Snape. I'm going to do it as soon as I have a chance." Draco's voice said.

"Good. Are you sure you don't need anything from me?" Snape said.

"Just tell me when to do it."

Harry's eyes widened and he hurried to charms before either one of them noticed that he was there. All the way he thought about what he had heard and he decided that he must tell Dumbledore.

Later that afternoon, before Harry even had a chance to tell Dumbledore about the suspicious conversation he overheard, he received a letter.

 _Dear Harry,_  
 _My office tonight._  
 _-A.D._

 **A/N- Hey y'all! Here's a new chapter finally! I've just been so busy lately with competitions for sports and homework and a crazy geometry teacher. But on the bright side, this will be completely finished in 2 chapters! In fact, I might even just cram everything into one depending on how I feel but yeah. I hope you guys will hold on just a little bit longer for the ending to this crazy story I came up with but don't worry, this won't be the only story set in this world. I'll have a sequel at some point and I hope you'll stick around to see it!**


	54. Chapter 56- Mission Part 1

**June 29th- Hogwarts**

"What is it, sir? Did you find something?" Harry asked as he barged into the headmaster's office.

"I've located one of the horcruxes-" Dumbledore said.

"Good. When do we leave?"

"Harry, this will be a dangerous journey. ONe that I cannot force you or even encourage you to come on. I have, although, promised that I would allow you to accompany me if you follow one, simple condition."

"Anything sir!" Harry responded.

"I need you to obey my every command with no questioning."

"But-"

"No Harry. I need to know that you will follow everything I say. If I tell you to cast a defensive spell, what will you do."

"Cast the spell sir."

"If I ask you to run or hide what will you do?"

"Sir-"

"Harry!" Dumbledore yelled.

"I'll run and hide sir," Harry replied quietly.

"And what if I ask you to turn back and leave me? If I ask you to come back here and not to tell anyone where I am or what we were doing?"

"Sir..."

"I'm not asking a lot of you Harry. I need to know that you will obey or else you can stay here. Now, what would you do?"

"I would come back here and wouldn't say a word to anyone," Harry whispered.

"Good. And Harry, no one can know what we've been talking about are we clear? Not even Order members and that includes your parents. Only Ron and Hermione may know and I'm only permitting that because I can see them helping you in the future with that knowledge."

"Yes sir."

"Good boy Harry. Now, meet me in the front hall in 15 minutes. Make sure you have your cloak but nothing else."

"Yes sir but sir I needed to tell you that I think Draco and Snape are up to something. I heard them-" Harry said.

"No Harry. I've had enough of this. They are not a threat to us. Now I will be leaving in 15 minutes whether you're there or not so I think it would be n your best interest to go get your cloak."

"Yes sir." Harry said and then he walked out of the room.

Harry almost sprinted down the corridors and almost ran right into the fat lady.

"Dear me Mr. Potter! Slow down!" She reprimanded lightly.

"Sorry! Ummmm Jinglehops!" Harry said as he dove into the common room.

He ran in and Hermione was sitting by the fireplace reading a book with Ron by her side. Ginny was dancing next to some of the younger kids in the other corner. Harry ran over to Ginny and grabbed her arm.

"Hey! Harry what's that for?" Ginny said as she was pulled away from the music.

Harry said nothing as he pulled her towards Ron and Hermione. Instead, he smoothly pulled her in for a quick kiss and then continued over.

"Guys get up I need to talk to you." Harry said urgently once he was closer to Ron and Hermione.

"Ok well give me a min-" Hermione started.

"No. Now." Harry said firmly.

Hermione shut her book once she saw Harry's face. The trio and Ginny sped through the common room and into a small closet that was hidden near the boys dormitory. Ginny sat on Harry's lap and Ron made a face but he was quickly shut up by an elbow in the ribs courtesy of Hermione.

"Dumbledore found one you guys. I need to leave in less than 10 minutes but I had to come and give you guys some stuff." Harry said as he pulled the Felix felicis out of his pocket. "You guys are going to need this tonight."

Ginny and Hermione opened their mouth to say something but Harry cut them off.

"Yes Hermione I was supposed to give this away and I'm about to explain in a moment Ginny." Harry smiled at Ginny. "Me and Dumbledore will be leaving for the night which means the school is unprotected. This is what the death eaters have been waiting for! They just needed an opening without Dumbledore noticing and now they will have the chance. I need you guys to round up the DA, use the coins. It might be nothing but I just have this weird feeling that shit's going down tonight."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. Ron scrunched his.

"Look, you guys don't believe me and that's fine-"

"We'll keep the school safe Harry." Hermione said sincerely.

"Thank you! Ok now I need you guys to take this ok?" Harry said.

"Harry... is that the Felix felicis I gave you this morning?"

"Yeah, Sorry about that Hermione." Harry replied sheepishly.

"Did you even try to give it to Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"Ummm no. But that's not the point right now. I need you guys to take this and drink it if something happens."

"What do you think is going to happen Harry? Death eaters invade the school?" Ron said sarcastically but then trailed off when he saw the look on Harry's face.

"Harry you can't be serious." Ron exclaimed.

"I told you what I think about Draco and Snape. I think that they've been trying to come into the school and attack. I heard them recently talking about how they just need the right time and I think that this could be it. Dumbledore will be distracted and they can do whatever they want."

"But Harry how will they get into the school there are TONS of wards to protect us." Hermione pointed out.

"Look. I don't have time for this. I just need you guys to be on your guard. And please take the potion!" Harry said as he stood up from his seat on the closet floor.

"We'll handle it Harry. Now are you sure you want to go with Dumbledore?" Ginny whispered to him.

"I'm sure. Thank you Gin." Harry said as he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

Then Harry ran out of the common room and to the front gate.

* * *

Harry was sitting under his cloak on a rock near the main road that leads to Hogsmeade. Dumbledore had left a few minutes ago and walked in the direction of the Three Broomsticks where he told Harry that he had to let a friend know where they were going. He had told Harry to sit and wait for him under the cloak and while Harry would have rather gone with him, he knew better than to disobey orders. A few minutes later, Dumbledore showed up with a twinkle in his eye.

"Ready to go sir?" Harry asked.

"Yes my dear boy. Rosemerta has given me her word that she will be on the lookout for any suspicious activity tonight." Dumbledore replied.

He linked arms with Harry and gave a little turn to apparate out of the familiar town and into the start of a treacherous mission to bring down the dark lord once and for all.

The pair landed on a cliff in the middle of a sea that seemed to be plagued by enormous waves. Harry could see a cave across the waters that looked strangely familiar as well as a winding pathway up to the top of a mountain. The stench of salt water and fish overwhelmed him as he stood atop the cliff with Dumbledore and he couldn't hear anything over the roar of the waves.

"Do you recognize this place Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Sort of sir." Harry replied.

"This is the cliff where Tom used to come and torture fellow orphans."

"Oh."

The pair stood silently for a moment looking around and examining their surroundings. There seemed to be no animals or plant life. In fact, it looked like something had come and swept the area with an eraser to cleanse the land of any unwanted life forms.

"Sir?" Harry started. "How will we get to the cave?"

"Well Harry how do you normally get through water?"

"I swim sir."

"Well then I guess we shall swim."

And with that, Dumbledore dove into the waves. Harry ran to the edge and looked over only to find that he couldn't see the professor.

"Sir?" Harry called. "Sir I'm coming in!"

Harry jumped into the water and was quickly emerged into the freezing cold temperatures. He felt seaweed and fish brush against his feet as he floated in the water trying to reach the surface and take a breath. He finally broke the surface of the waves and immediately tried to suck in all the water he could. He looked around and noted that the waves had already pushed him a fair amount away from the cliff where he had started. He started swimming a quick freestyle and was still frantically looking around for Dumbledore. He had almost made it to shore when Dumbledore appeared right next to him.

"There you are sir!" Harry exclaimed.

"Here I am." Dumbledore replied calmly.

They stepped out onto the rocky base of the cave and took a quick glance around. Harry was shivering while holding his wand very tightly. Dumbledore confidently examined every little nook and cranny and Harry had to notice how his clothes looked perfectly dry.

"S-Sir?" Harry asked. "I d-don't suppose you know t-the drying spell?"

"Oh dear! I'm sorry my boy. Evanseco water!" Dumbledore said.

"Thank you, sir." Harry said as his clothes suddenly rid themselves of the water.

Dumbledore didn't reply but instead moved hurriedly towards a crack in the wall. He ran his frail, blackened fingers over it and sighed.

"I can sense the dark magic that is present here. The wall wants a blood donation." Dumbledore said.

"I'll do it sir!" Harry volunteered.

He stepped forward but Dumbledore held his hand out.

"I'll do it my boy. Your blood is much more valuable than mine."

"But sir-"

"What did I say about listening to me Harry?"

Harry pursed his lips but nodded and watched as the headmaster pulled a pocket knife out of his robes. He shakily raised his blackened hand and cut a thin stroke in his other hand. Blood slowly poured out of the cut and Dumbledore raised his hand to meet the stone wall of the cave. The cave seemed to shake and fizzle for a moment before the crack in the wall got bigger. Dumbledore signaled for Harry to follow him as he walked through the opening. Both of their wands were lit at the tip and they both walked with caution.

The area they were in had a large body of still water that appeared to have a slight film over it. There was a single wooden boat that was tied to shore with a rope that looked like it was about to break at any second and in the middle of the water, there was a small island. The island only looked like it could fit 4 people on it at most and it was covered in rocky footing and what looked like slippery stones.

"What do you think Harry?" Dumbledore asked.

"Oh! Errrrr... well we could try to accio the locket?" Harry said.

"Go ahead and try."

"Accio horcrux!" Harry said while pointing his wand at the waters.

He thought he saw something move.

"Well it was worth a try my boy. Sometimes the simplest of magic can bring great success."

"Sir? I thought I saw something move under the water."

"Nothing to worry about Harry. As long as we stay dry, they should not harm us. Anywho, shall we try the boat?"

"Yes sir." Harry said eagerly stepping closer.

The murky water seemed to beckon him closer as Harry went towards the boat but at the same time, there was a pull, a force that made him want to turn back around and leave.

"Now be careful Harry. I'm going to get in first to test the waters."

"Yes sir."

"And Harry?"

"Yes sir?"

"Remember my rule."

"Yes sir."

The old professor climbed down into the boat with surprising ease. The boat tilted and shook a bit but after Dumbledore was seated, the boat had calmed down.

"Ok Harry. Come on and get in."

"Yes sir." Harry responded.

He carefully put one leg down and then slowly allowed his weight to transfer into the small boat. The boat creaked under the pressure but stayed above water and didn't tilt.  
Slowly, the pair started to drift towards the rocky chunk of land. They stepped out onto the dirty surface and walked to the peak of the rocks where there was a pedestal with a bowl filled with liquid on top of it. A shiny golden shell sat next to the bowl and when Harry looked in, he could see the shimmer of the locket.

"Move aside Harry, I believe I must drink this potion to retrieve our prize." Dumbledore said.

"No sir! I'll drink it. You already cut your hand to get us in here. Do you know what kind of potion it is?"

"You will not drink this Harry. I doubt Miss Sophronia would allow me to bring her brother back with a poison in his system."

"Sir?"

"I believe this potion is most likely something to weaken us Harry. Tom wouldn't want to kill us because he would want to know who figured out his secret but, he would want us weak enough that we couldn't leave."

"Sir what if it does kill you?" Harry asked quietly while Dumbledore picked up the shell.

"Well then I have lived my best life and I order you to leave me here and return to Hogwarts."

"Sir-"

"Harry." Dumbledore said.

"Yes sir."

"If I try to push away the cup I need you to promise that you'll force me to keep drinking it."

"Sir!"

"Harry. Promise me."

"Are you-"

"I'm sure Harry."

"I promise sir." Harry said quietly.

"Thank you Harry."

Dumbledore scooped up the first bit of potion and downed it in one gulp. As he scooped more and more cups he slowly sank closer and closer to the floor. About halfway through he was kneeling beside the podium and breathing heavily.

"Look sir! You only have a few more scoops left! You're almost there." Harry encouraged the older man.

"I don't want anymore." Dumbledore said. "Make it stop please."

"I'm sorry sir, you have to finish this."

"No! Stop I don't want anymore. I want to go back home!"

"I'm sorry sir." Harry said as he handed Dumbledore another cup of the poison.

"STOP! I know it's my fault!" Dumbledore was know

The older man now looked at Harry with those crystal blue eyes. Tears gushed down his cheeks.

"Sir please!" Harry said. "Only a couple more cups I promise."

He tilted the professors head back and poured the cup in.

"I can't do it. Stop please don't make me. Make it stop!" Dumbledore cried.

"I'm sorry sir. You made me promise."

Harry tilted the cup back, pouring the searing liquid into his mentor's throat. Dumbledore was now rocking back on forth on the cold stone and Harry was refilling the cup while trying to comfort him.

"I'm sorry sir. Just think of when we go home! We'll be one step closer to killing him."

"I can never go home." Dumbledore said looking Harry directly in the eye. "Kill me."

Harry stood frozen for a moment watching as his strong mentor broke down in front of him. Then, with tears now threatening to spill out of his eyes, Harry filled up the cup one more time and tilted it ever so slightly so that the liquid filled Dumbledore's throat. Then Harry pinched his nose which forced Dumbledore to swallow.

"Look sir! It's all done!"

Dumbledore didn't stir from his place on the floor.

"Sir?" Harry asked, bending down to check on the older man.

"Water." He croaked.

Harry hurriedly tried to fill the cup with water from his wand but every time he got close to Dumbledore, the water disappeared.

"I'm trying sir! Augamenti!" Harry said.

Then, Harry looked out onto the dark sea. He could see something moving beneath the surface but he knew that it might be the only source of water.

 **A/N- Hi guys! I'm so sorry this took so long to get up but I really hope the longer chapter makes up for it. I also just wanted to let you guys know that I may be changing my username to something different just for a little change. And yes I know that this chapter doesn't seem finished but I'll have a part two up in no time and then this story is done! It'll be done before the new year I swear. Ok thank you guys again for being so patient with me.**

 **-xoMadHatterox-**


	55. Chapter 57- The Final Chapter

Without even thinking, Harry plunged the cup into the dark waters. He smiled in triumph as he pulled his hand out of the water untouched but soon realized that he had reacted too soon. A slimy hand flew out of the water and grabbed Harry's wrist. The cup clattered to the ground as Harry tries to pry the hand away. More and more bodies emerged from the water and try to pull Harry in. Their blank, emotionless eyes stare at him and their cold hands grabbed at his shaking limbs.

"Let go!" Harry yelled, cursing under his breath. "Diffindo! Stupefy! Reducto!"

The corpses merely glanced at the colored blasts.

Harry was positive that he was done for. The dead hands were surprisingly strong and they soon had him lying on his back, prepared to be dragged into the murky waters.

Then, a blinding light suddenly engulfed the dark cave. Harry felt the hands loosening and immediately jumped up and raised his wand. Harry turned to see Dumbledore standing against the podium and muttering spells under his breath. Harry practically sprinted towards him once he was released from the hands of the corpses.

"Sir! I'm sorry I tried to get your water-"

"It's alright Harry." Dumbledore rasped. "It's my fault for not informing you about the inferni properly. Now I believe it's about time we get home don't you agree?"

"Yes, sir. Did you grab the horcrux?" Harry asked.

"It's in my pocket. Although I do fear that I will require quite a bit of assistance to return home,"

"Don't worry sir. I'll get us home,"

"Oh, I am not worried, Harry. I know you are very capable,"

Harry gave him a small, unsteady smile as he pulled dumbledore's arm to drape over his shoulders. The pair approached the exit to the cave and Harry realized that the blood door had sealed them in. Dumbledore started to reach for his knife but Harry shook his head.

"It's alright sir, I cut my hand on the rocks back there." He explained, pressing his palm to the cave wall.

The wall shook before opening up once again allowing the pair through. They made their way to the edge of the cave where Harry immediately turned to Dumbledore as he realized that they would have to swim to get out of the anti-apparation wards.

"Sir-" Harry said, looking worriedly at his professor.

"I'll be ok Harry," Dumbledore said.

"Are you sure sir?"

"Harry! Just swim please."

"Yes sir."

They lowered themselves into the cold waters and made their way to the rocks. Harry got there first and reached down to pull Dumbledore from the waves.

"Good sir?" Harry asked once both he and Dumbledore were standing on the rocks.

Dumbledore nodded sluggishly.

"Alright sir, I'm going to try and apparate us home if that's ok."

Another nod.

"Ok, here goes," Harry mumbled.

The world spun for a moment and then Harry felt the familiar sensation of being squeezed through a tube. Soon enough, he felt the ground forming underneath him and tightened his hold on Dumbledore's weak form.

"Are you alright sir? I didn't splinch you did I?" Harry asked as soon as they landed.

"You did wonderful Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. "We're in Hogsmeade correct?"

"Yes, sir. I'm going to start heading towards the castle alright? Madame Pomfrey will fix you up in no time."

"Severus," Dumbledore said. "Bring me to Severus."

"Are you sure sir? I think Madame-"

"Please Harry. Severus will know what kind of potion this was."

Harry started moving them toward the castle when suddenly, the silhouette of a woman emerged from the shadows. Harry paused and pulled out his wand as she quickly approached them.

"Your cloak Harry," Dumbledore said. "Put it on."

Harry quickly nodded and swiftly pulled the magical fabric over himself. He reluctantly released his hold on Dumbledore and moved even more into the shadows.

"Rosemerta! My dear is everything alright?" Dumbledore asked.

"Albus! Thank goodness you're back. Have you not seen?" The woman, who Harry could now recognize as Madame Rosmerta, said.

"Seen what?" Dumbledore asked worriedly.

"The dark mark. Above the astronomy tower."

Harry felt his neck snap as he hurriedly turned towards the school that he called home. Sure enough, the deathly green glow was floating above the tallest tower.

"Ginny," Harry whispered under his breath.

"I need brooms Rosmerta." Dumbledore said.

"Multiple?" Rosemerta asked.

"Accio Rosmerta's brooms!" Harry shouted from his spot in the shadows.

He pulled the cloak over his head just in time to grab the two brooms that came flying towards him. Had he not been in such an unsettling predicament, Harry would've laughed at the shocked look on Rosemerta's face.

"Thank you for that Harry," Dumbledore said, his tone surprisingly not at all negative.

Harry swung his leg over the broom and tossed Dumbledore the spare one. They took off into the night with Harry pushing his broom as fast as it could possibly go. He pushed his broom through the window and immediately hopped off.

He could hear the sounds of a fight from below him. Screams of students, spells being shouted across the room and the distant laughter of Bellatrix Lestrange.

He spun around quickly with his wand already raised when he heard a heavy thud on the ground near him but quickly relaxed when he realized it was only Dumbledore.

"Are you ok sir?" Harry asked, turning towards him.

"I'm fine Harry but I need you to go and get Severus."

"Sir, I can't leave you here, come with me-"

Harry was cut off by the sound of footsteps running up the nearby staircase. He turned to Dumbledore with questioning eyes.

"Hide," Dumbledore said.

Harry tried to protest but suddenly, he found himself unable to move. Dumbledore quickly took the cloak from Harry's bag and threw it over Harry's body with a sad smile.

Dumbledore returned to the center of the tower and waited as the footsteps came closer and closer. And when the platinum blond head of hair entered his view, all Harry could think about is what he would do if he wasn't spelled to the spot.

"Draco? What are you doing up here?" Dumbledore asked in a tone that was as light as if he were talking about the weather.

"Expelliaramus!" Draco bellowed.

Harry watched in shock as Dumbledore's wand zoomed over to Draco's outstretched hand.

"And they said I couldn't do. Look at me now old man! You're disarmed and death eaters are taking out your army."

"Impressive if I do say so myself. Although I am still wondering what you are doing up here tonight." Dumbledore mused.

"Are you blind old man?" Draco asked his wand twitching as he stalked closer. "The Dark Lord gave me a mission that he's wanted to be done for a long time and tonight, it gets done."

That was when it clicked in Harry's brain. Draco had been tasked to kill Dumbledore. The necklace was never meant for Katie. Draco had never been stressed about his schoolwork. He had been planning to kill Dumbledore this whole time and no one knew.

"I see," Dumbledore said.

A scream and a growl pierced the quiet tower and made Harry's stomach turn. Draco visibly tensed and his eyes wandered towards the stairs for the briefest moment.

"Your backup seems to be fighting rather hard down there," Dumbledore said.

"They met some of your guards." Draco replied. "They'll join me up here soon."

"Why did you bring them here tonight Draco? There are children here. Your friends are here!"

"They won't hurt the Slytherins. I made sure of that." Draco said quietly.

"I see. But do you not worry about the safety of your other classmates?"

"I didn't want it to be like this. They weren't supposed to come. This is my job." Draco said.

"The necklace wasn't meant for Katie Bell was it?"

Draco stayed silent.

"You don't have to do this Draco. I can give you protection. I can give your mother protection."

Draco laughed bitterly.

"You think that you can hide us from the Dark Lord? You're wrong, old man. You got me into this and now I've got a way to keep them safe so there is no way I'm giving up now."

"He's ruthless Draco. I can help you-"

"No, you can't!" Draco yelled storming closer to him. "No one can help me. I have to do this. Don't you see? I have to do this or he'll kill them. He'll kill all of them."

"Draco-"

"Shut up old man! You're going to die tonight and there's nothing you can do."

"You're not a killer Draco."

"You don't know that. You don't know anything about me. All you ever cared about was your Gryffindor golden boy. Well, guess what headmaster. Slytherin's have lives too and we have families and friends and we care about them. And I for one would like mine to stay alive even for a little bit longer and for that to happen I need to do this."

And Harry couldn't find it in him to truly hate him anymore.

"Then, by all means, Draco. Kill me." Dumbledore said quietly.

And then, from the shadows, Harry saw a shadow emerge. As he came closer, Harry realized just who it was. His mop of greasy hair and hooked nose were unmistakable.

Snape had joined the fight.

"Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

And then the beam of green came. It seemed to move in slow motion has it passed Draco's ear and went straight to Dumbledore's heart. As soon as it hit, Harry could feel his feet begin to loosen their hold on the ground. He rushed over to the body of his fallen mentor with tear blurring his vision.

"Sir?" He whispered quietly no longer caring if Draco knew of his presence.

The headmaster's eyes were closed and his mouth relaxed as if he were simply sleeping but Harry knew better. Tears were spilling down his cheeks as he placed Dumbledore's hands on his torso instead of the awkward position that they were currently in.

"I'm so sorry sir. I should've done better. I should've brought you straight to Snape. Snape!" Harry suddenly realized.

Dumbledore had trusted him. He had told Harry it was nothing to worry about. He had convinced everyone that Snape was on their side.  
Harry stood up and looked around. The traitor was nowhere to be found. He stood up and ran down the stairs, past death eaters, professors and even some of the DA who tried calling out to him. He barely spared them a glance. All he could think was that Snape had killed Dumbledore. He had killed the indestructible professor and he wasn't going to get away with it.

He sprinted outside into the warm summer air, where it was remarkably silent. Harry could hear nothing other than the dull thumping of blood pumping in his ear. The trees around him swayed peacefully, unaware that the leader of the light had been slain just moments before. Hagrid's hut stood silently guarding the forest as it always did and the black lake was still minus the occasional ripple caused by the tentacles of something beneath the surface.

But, as Harry looked around in desperation, the serene scene faded into the background for Harry had finally found his target.

"YOU KILLED HIM!" Harry screamed as he ran towards the retreating figures of Draco and Snape. "HE TRUSTED YOU AND YOU MURDERED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM YOU BASTARD!"

Harry whipped out his wand and started casting every spell he could think of at his potions professor. Snape easily blocked the spells and shielded Draco. Then, he skillfully swung his wand around him and cast a wall of fire between him and Harry.

"YOU COWARD! YOU CAN'T EVEN FIGHT ME? YOU CAN'T BEAR TO LOOK INTO MY EYES CAN YOU? You broke your promise, Snape. And don't think she will forgive you for this one!" Harry screamed into the fire, not even sure if the cause of his anger was still listening.

And with that, Harry collapsed on the ground in tears. The fire raged around him and the once peaceful grounds erupted in chaos. One minute Harry was alone, kneeling on the ground pounding his fist into the hot dirt and the next a soothing voice was whispering in his ear.

"Shhhhhhh. Harry, it's ok. You're ok. We're all ok," Ginny's voice said.

She pulled his body next to hers and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, the fire still raging right in front of them. They sat there for a few minutes watching the fire rise and fall steadily before getting up.

"Come one. I don't want to get burned alive because of you and I believe you have a story to tell the guard." Ginny said keeping her voice quiet.

They silently walked towards the castle hand in hand until they got to the infirmary. Harry could hear a commotion from inside and suddenly realized that he knew nothing of the condition of the people that hadn't been in the astronomy tower. He looked towards Ginny with a slight panic in his eye.

"Your parents were home with Dudley and Sophie. Sirius and Remus were fine last I heard and the couple DA members only got minor injuries. But, Harry, that felix felicis you gave us saved our lives." Ginny said.

"What about the professors? The students? The rest of the Order?" Harry asked.

"Everyone's ok. The only person that was seriously hurt was, was Bill." Ginny finished quietly.

"What?" Harry asked, spinning around to fully face Ginny.

"Greyback got him. Luckily he couldn't do too much damage because another death eater pulled him away."

"I'm so sorry Ginny-"

"Stop. None of this was your fault, Harry."

"But Gin, I could've stopped him! I should've been here. I never should've gone with Dumbledore-"

"Harry, calm down. Bill's tough, he's going to be fine. You did what Dumbledore told you to do. Where is he anyway? I'm sure the Order needs to talk to him about this."

"Ginny, I, you don't know?" Harry asked carefully.

"Know what Harry? What happened?"

"Dumbledore, he's, he's dead Gin. That was Draco's plan. He was sent to kill him."

"What?" Ginny said, shaking her head at Harry. "No. No that can't be."

"I was standing right there Ginny. I should've done more. I should've killed Snape-"

"Wait, what does Snape have to-"

"He killed him, Ginny. That's why I was chasing after him. Snape killed Dumbledore."

"Oh, Merlin. That right bastard!" Ginny screamed.

Harry winced as his girlfriend yelled profanities about their old professor. And then grimaced as the door to the infirmary opened and revealed a very confused Remus Lupin.

"Harry? Ginny?" Lupin asked opening the door even more. "Harry, what happened? Have you two seen Dumbledore yet?"

Ginny calmed down enough to look at Harry.

"He's gone, Lupin," Harry said softly.

"What do you mean Harry? Did they take him?"

Harry shook his head.

"Well, where is he? Did he follow them?"

"He's dead Lupin. I'm sorry."

Remus just shook his head.

"Harry. Harry that's not funny! Where is he?" Lupin yelled.

"I told you he's dead!" Harry yelled back. "Snape killed him. His body is in the astronomy tower. Go look if you don't believe me."

Lupin looked dumbfounded for a moment before his face seemed to drop.

"Come on. We've got to go tell the others."

* * *

After everyone was informed, things seemed to pass ten times quicker usual. Lily and James, of course, came as soon as they could and tried in vain to get Harry to return home with them. Lily seemed especially teary-eyed when he declined but Harry suspected it was more over the fact that the final strand that was holding her and Snape together had finally broken. Ron and Hermione apologized for not believing Harry sooner and then told him all about the battle that had taken place while he was gone.

Apparently, after Dumbledore died, all the death eaters disappeared within seconds. Neville and Luna were the only other members of the DA to show up and fight and luckily they only suffered minor cuts and bruises. Bill made a full recovery save some scars and an odd craving for raw meat. Sirius had almost destroyed the entire castle when he found out who killed Dumbledore but was restrained by Meg who instead shoved him into a broom closet for what Harry could only assume was a post-battle celebration.

Dumbledore's funeral was held the next week and all students attended even though they weren't required to. He was buried on school grounds. And while Harry was watching the burial with the up most sadness, he felt a spark of happiness as he watched Remus and Tonks sitting together with their fingers intertwined.

Before the funeral, Harry had also gotten the chance to swipe the locket from Dumbledore's pocket. But it seemed to be in vain because the locket was only a fake placed by someone called R.A.B. When Harry told Hermione and Ron, they vowed to find the real one, even if that meant going on the run, so as not to let Dumbledore's death be for nothing. No one else knew what the trio was going to do.

Harry approached Ginny after the funeral and not for the reason she initially thought. Harry asked her to do the one thing that he wouldn't be able to do while he was gone, protect his siblings. Ginny agreed quickly.

So looking out at the scene in front of him, everything seemed to be falling into place but, Harry knew that nothing would be the same.

~The End~

 **A/N-I am actually almost crying right now guys. I can't believe that my story is finally finished. I mean of course there will be a sequel but this is my first full-length novel and it's done. I'm just at a loss for words. Thank you guys so much for all of the continued support even through the tough times. I wouldn't have been able to finish or even start this project if it wasn't for you guys. I mean it's been almost two years and for some reason, you guys are still here! I don't know what I would do if I didn't have such amazing fans and supporters and even critics. Thank you so so much.**

 **I am also so so excited to finally announce the real reason that I haven't been as active on this account recently. Of course, it was no lie that my school work always comes first but I was also working on a new project for you guys. I am excited to announce that I am currently 10,000 words into an original romance that I will be publishing on Wattpad! It's not nearly done yet and I won't be publishing the first chapter until it is but I would love if you guys would give me just as much support over there as you did on here! My username on Wattpad is ThatMatchie and I give a bit more information about myself away on that site if you guys want to check it out.**

 **And for the news that everyone is waiting for. The sequel to this will happen I promise. I just think I have to take a break and work on something different for a while. How would you like to see a little short story (like less than 10 chapters) about another fandom? I'm thinking either Now You See Me, High School Musical or Riverdale, however, I am open to other suggestions as well! Let me know in a review. And of course I will be working on rewriting this and writing WBCHB when I do feel nspired enough. Anyway, I love you guys so so much and I promise to get that sequel going right after my little Harry Potter detox.**

 **Thanks again and see you soon,**

 **-Marauderette24**


	56. SEQUEL ANNOUNCEMENT

I'm back guys! I'm re-energized and excited to come back into the world of Harry Potter! Just to update you guys, I have several chapters prewritten so hopefully, there won't be any huge gaps in my posting anymore. That said, I have a new original work that has become my first priority. Don't worry, I still love writing fanfiction and will probably continue to do so for a long time. I think it's an amazing writing exercise and this community has always been so supportive of me so I would be doing myself a disservice to leave completely.

If you guys want to read my original works in between chapters of this, please check out my Wattpad account! No, I will not be posting any fanfiction on that site and I'm not entirely switching over to that site either.

That being said, I love how devoted and supportive you guys are and I would love to have you read my original romance novel, Cream Puffs and Courtship. So, in order to generate a bit more traffic on my wattpad page, I am willing to help you guys in return! If you go to my wattpad page (username: ThatMatchie) and read a couple chapters of the book, maybe leave a nice comment or tag some friends, I will give you a shoutout in the authors note of my fanfiction! It's that easy! All you have to do is:

1\. Go to my wattpad page. (ThatMatchie)

2\. Read some of my original romance novel, Cream Puffs and Courtship.

3\. Leave a nice comment or tag some friends.

4\. PM me, leave a review on this chapter or PM me on wattpad what you want shouted out. For example: "Hi Marauderette24, I just read your book and I would appreciate if you shouted out my username 'blank blank blank'" or "Hi ThatMatchie, I just read your book and I was wondering if you could shout out my book called 'blankity blank'"

See how simple it is? I just wanted to thank you guys for always supporting me even when I go on breaks and even when I drift away from fanfiction for a little while! So now that all that has been covered, let's move on to what you guys are really here for!

Without further ado, I would am happy to announce that the second book in the Mysteries series, Mysteries of War is now published! This is the sequel to Mysteries of the Veil and it takes place during Harry's seventh year.

Here's a little sneak peek for you guys!

 **July 31st- Potter Manor**

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Harry and Neville! Happy birthday to you!"

Harry and Neville sat in front of a two-tier birthday cake made by Lily and Molly.

Ginny was sitting to Harry's right, leaning her head on his shoulder and kissing his cheek lightly. Sophie was seated on his left grinning at him with Melody in her lap and Dudley was standing over her protectively. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Lily, James, Molly, and Arthur were all standing behind the birthday boys, cheering as they blew out the candles. Meg and Sirius cuddling on the couch. Tonks and Remus holding hands and talking in front of the fire. And as Harry looked at all the people around him, he realized that it seemed like the perfect scene.

Except it wasn't.

So I hope you're as excited as I am about this and I hope you'll give it just as much support as you did for Mysteries of the Veil!  
Love y'all,  
-Marauderette24


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